


Unexpected

by callandra



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: F/M, I don't do smut, I should probably mention there's nothing I'd consider graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-07-14 13:25:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 33
Words: 131,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7173653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callandra/pseuds/callandra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an import from FF.net, now that it's finished.  After Jareth's brother meddles with a woman Above, Jareth finds his life, and the Underground, turned completely upside down.  Mentions of Non-con, hence the warning, but nothing graphic, since that's not my thing. And I can't believe I actually have to say this, but due to some reactions on FF.net I realized that apparently people aren't as intelligent as I gave them credit for:   Rape is NOT OKAY!!!!!      In later chapters, this story deals with characters who live in a rape culture, who believe their actions are justified.  This in no way reflects the actual opinions of the real live person who wrote it!!!    No means no, and no mental gymnastics justifies it!!!!!   It is never okay!!!!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Jareth was tired.  The daily drudgery of running the Goblin Kingdom was taking it’s toll on him.  How long had he been at this job?  A century?  A millenium?  Longer?  At times it felt as if an eternity had already passed, with infinity looming ahead of him.  An eternity of petty goblin complaints, of taking children wished away by family or friends and bringing them here. An eternity of dealing with foolish mortals from the Aboveground, watching them fail his Labyrinth.

_-All but one. Sarah surprised you, didn’t she?_

_-She certainly did that.  I never expected the chit to beat me. Wonderful, now I’m talking to myself._

It was true that Sarah had surprised him.  The first person to solve the Labyrinth, she had far exceeded Jareth’s expectations.  So much so that he had offered her a place at his side, as queen.  She’d refused, and he’d returned her home with her baby brother.

On reflection, Jareth was rather glad that she’d refused him.  She’d been so young, barely more than a child.  If she’d stayed, she would have done so without any real understanding of what he offered, and what she agreed to.  In the end, it wouldn’t have worked; they would have made each other miserable.

_-She’s not a child anymore, you know._

No, she was no longer a child. It was twenty years since that night, she was most definitely a woman grown. But she had a family of her own.  He’d checked on her, off and on, through the years:  she was married with two children.  I wouldn’t interfere in her life again.

_-Whose fault is that?  If you wanted her, you could have brought her back, as soon as she reached adulthood._

_-And keep her here against her will?  She would have hated me._

_-She would have gotten over it. Eternity is a long time to hold a grudge.  Or you could find another from Aboveground, if none of your own kind appeals to you._

That was the problem, of course.  There were any number of Fae women who would be happy to become Goblin Queen, lords only knew his sister had introduced him to enough, but he didn’t want any of them.  He found them annoying, at best. He knew that Saiorse was getting tired of his always insulting her friends.  Thankfully, she’d stopped bringing them around.  He honestly preferred the company of the goblins to Fae women.

_-So go topside and find a human girl.  You need the interaction._

He couldn’t argue with that.  It had been months since he’d spoken with another person.

“Sire!”

He looked up at the goblin that stood in the doorway, looking half afraid.

                “What is it?” Jareth all but snapped.  The goblin shrank back even further, and he was almost sorry for his tone.

                “Sire, your brother is here.”

                “Tell him I’m away.”

                He was in no mood to deal with Melot.  His brother had to be the most annoying creature in the Underground.

                “I’m shocked brother.  Hardly the hospitality you should extend to your family.”

                Melot’s mocking voice grated on Jareth’s nerves.  The younger man had simply appeared in the throne room, and was leaning on Jareth’s throne.

                “That you are my brother is the sole reason I haven’t dropped you head first into the Bog of Eternal Stench.  Don’t tempt me Melot.”

                “That won’t do.  What would father say if he could see and hear his precious firstborn now?”

                “He would no doubt wonder that my restraint has lasted so long.  Why are you here?”

                “Why, I’ve come to visit my dear older brother for awhile.  I’ve missed your company.”

                Jareth merely raised an eyebrow. Melot never visited for the pleasure of seeing his brother.  In three thousand years, they’d never gotten along.  For some reason, Melot had always envied Jareth his position as king.  The throne of the Goblin Kingdom was a constant source of fighting between them;  Melot felt that he would be the better ruler, never mind that Jareth was a millennia older.  Jareth’s mother had been a minor member of the Fae nobility, while Melot and Saiorse’s mother was sister to the High King himself.  Melot thought he should rule for that reason alone.  He would never visit Jareth willingly.

                “You were banished from Court, weren’t you?”

                The look of anger on Melot’s face told Jareth that he was right on target.  Melot had angered the High King, or someone close to him, enough to get himself banished.  Having nowhere else to go, he’s come to the Goblin Kingdom.  Jareth laughed.

                “Whose wife did you try to seduce?”

                Melot was rumored to have been sleeping his way through the Court.  Jareth stayed away as much as possible, so he didn’t know just how many of Melot’s supposed conquests were real, but he knew his brother enough to know that there was a basis in fact for those claims.

                “It’s none of your concern, brother.”

                “Oh but it is,” Jareth smirked.  “You came to me for accommodation; that makes it my concern.  I need to know if some angry Fae nobleman is going to come looking for you.”

                “Oh, shut up, Jareth.”

                Jareth laughed, looking at his brother, watching his eyes grow stormy and troubled.

                “No matter.  So long as you stay out of my way, you can stay here.  Just stay out of the Labyrinth.  It’s been fussy lately, with so few runners.  You wouldn’t want to be mistaken for a new toy.”

                Melot shuddered at that, sparking more laughter from Jareth.

                “Laugh all you want, brother.  It’s never tried to destroy YOU.”

                No, the Labyrinth had never destroyed him.  A human teenager had almost done what the most feared part of the Underground couldn’t do.

                _-You didn’t really love her, you know.  She was just a surprising distraction, after millennia of sameness.  The only thing she destroyed was your pride._

_-True.  She never would have lasted here, anyway.  But she was entertaining._

                “Just remember my warning.  And stay out of my way.  I do still have a kingdom to run.”

                He didn’t miss the hardening of Melot’s expression at that barb.  The younger man stalked off without a word, viciously kicking one of the guards as he left.  Jareth watched him leave and sighed.  He was very tired indeed.

 

                Melot was bored.  It had taken only one day with Jareth to remind him why he came to the Goblin Kingdom so rarely. Now three weeks had passed, and he thought he might go mad.

                There was so little to do here.  The goblins, while for the most part harmless, were also incredibly brainless.  It was truly like being surrounded by children.  The only person around to talk to was Jareth, and that was a bad idea.  They always seemed to end up fighting.  If Jareth would only see that he had no business as king.  His mother Isolde had been a daughter of one of the lesser nobles in the Fae Court.  Blood like that should never be allowed to rule.  The Goblin Kingdom deserved a better ruler than that.

                His own blood was far better.  Sylvan was a sister to Marek, High King of the Fae.  A throne was his birthright, and instead, simply because he was not first born, he had to make his way in the Court.  It was so unfair.  And now, because he’d almost succeeded in convincing Arionne to run away with him, he was banished even from the Court, to this forsaken place, with no one to amuse him.  He didn’t handle boredom well.

                If only there was another person here, someone he could talk to.  They needed fresh blood around here.  If Saiorse would visit, and bring some of her friends, the place would be much livelier.  He might even be able to bear his exile.  Yes, he would make his sister come.  She always managed to get along with both of them; surely, with Saoirse there they could keep the peace for the duration of his exile.

                His mind made up, he conjured up a crystal, and held it at eye level.

                “Saoirse.”

                “Melot?  Where are you?”

                The crystal was too small for either of them to have a good view through it, only their faces were distinct.

                “I’m in the Goblin Kingdom.  You have to come—“

                His twin was in the room standing beside him before he finished the sentence.

                “Whatever are you doing here?  Don’t tell me that the rumors are true.  Have you actually been banished?”

                “Temporarily.  Just until Tallis returns to his home.”

                “You were cuckolding  Tallis?”

                Saoirse smacked her brother in the head.  He yelped, and rubbed the now throbbing spot.

                “What was that for?”

                “For getting yourself exiled from Court over someone as empty headed as Arionne.  Tallis, of all husbands, will never just let this go. You know that.”

                “Enough with the lectures, Saoirse.  You have to come stay with me.”

                “Stay with you?”

                She raised one eyebrow at him in a gesture so typical of Jareth that Melot winced.

                “Yes.  You have to stay.  I’m losing my mind here Saoirse.  It’s so boring!”

                Saoirse looked at her brother in disbelief.  He really expected her to drop everything, including her husband and duties, to keep him company?  She shook her head.

                “Melot, you know very well that the demands on the kingdom leave me no time to visit.”

                “Surely you can stay for awhile—“ he began in his most wheedling tone.  Saoirse ignored it.

                “Not just now, Melot.  Haldrin is extremely busy.  I can’t leave him.  You’ll just have to entertain yourself for awhile.  And try to stay out of trouble.”

                “Saoirse, you can’t just leave me here with Jareth. I’ve already had three weeks of it!”

                “You brought this on yourself, Melot.  I can’t fix this for you.  Now, strange as it may sound, why don’t you try getting alone with Jareth?”

                “Get along with that low bred—“

                He was cut off by another smack to the head.  There were times when Saoirse could cheerfully kill her twin.  No wonder he and Jareth were always fighting.  Melot was so arrogant, even worse than their older borther.

                “I’m surprised he hasn’t already tossed you into the Bog of Eternal Stench.  You’re three thousand, four hundred, and seventy-eight years old, Melot!  Stop acting like a child of two hundred!”

                She disappeared in a huff, and transported herself to the study.  She wouldn’t waste a trip out here without stopping to see Jareth.  He looked up from his papers, a glare on his face for whoever had dared to disturb him.  He broke into a smile when he saw his younger sister.

                “Saoirse!  What brings you out here?  Tired of the Elves, are you?”

                “Not at all.  I was called by Melot, and since Haldrin was in a Council meeting, I came by.”

                Jareth stood, walked around his desk, and embraced his sister.  He hadn’t seen her in almost a year.  The Elven lands were far from the Goblin Kingdom; nearly the only time he saw Saoirse was at the formal gathering called by Marek.

                “Melot called you? “

                “Unfortunately yes. He’s bored.”

                Jareth snorted.  Leave it to Melot to expect everyone to drop everything to entertain him.  It was hard to believe that he and Saoirse were related.  Where his sister actually had a head on her shoulders, and showed concern for the affairs of the Underground, his brother only cared for himself.

                “Can you stay for dinner at least?”

                He rather enjoyed the prospect of an intelligent dinner partner. The goblins, when he mingled with them, were more like children.  He couldn’t really discuss anything with them.

                “I wish I could, but we’re meeting with the Dwarf ambassador.  Politics.”

                They shared a smile at their mutual distaste for politics, and Jareth hid his disappointment that her stay was so short.  He knew as well as she that there was no getting around the obligations that came with the office of ruler.

                “Well, Haldrin is having a ball in three weeks’ time.  You received an invitation.”

                “Did I?”

                He tried to recall the invitation, but with the mountain of paperwork on his desk, he knew it was likely that it had been lost. Of course, knowing the goblins, it could just have easily been destroyed.

 

 

Jareth was tired.  The daily drudgery of running the Goblin Kingdom was taking it’s toll on him.  How long had he been at this job?  A century?  A millenium?  Longer?  At times it felt as if an eternity had already passed, with infinity looming ahead of him.  An eternity of petty goblin complaints, of taking children wished away by family or friends and bringing them here. An eternity of dealing with foolish mortals from the Aboveground, watching them fail his Labyrinth.

_-All but one. Sarah surprised you, didn’t she?_

_-She certainly did that.  I never expected the chit to beat me. Wonderful, now I’m talking to myself._

It was true that Sarah had surprised him.  The first person to solve the Labyrinth, she had far exceeded Jareth’s expectations.  So much so that he had offered her a place at his side, as queen.  She’d refused, and he’d returned her home with her baby brother.

On reflection, Jareth was rather glad that she’d refused him.  She’d been so young, barely more than a child.  If she’d stayed, she would have done so without any real understanding of what he offered, and what she agreed to.  In the end, it wouldn’t have worked; they would have made each other miserable.

_-She’s not a child anymore, you know._

No, she was no longer a child. It was twenty years since that night, she was most definitely a woman grown. But she had a family of her own.  He’d checked on her, off and on, through the years:  she was married with two children.  I wouldn’t interfere in her life again.

_-Whose fault is that?  If you wanted her, you could have brought her back, as soon as she reached adulthood._

_-And keep her here against her will?  She would have hated me._

_-She would have gotten over it. Eternity is a long time to hold a grudge.  Or you could find another from Aboveground, if none of your own kind appeals to you._

That was the problem, of course.  There were any number of Fae women who would be happy to become Goblin Queen, lords only knew his sister had introduced him to enough, but he didn’t want any of them.  He found them annoying, at best. He knew that Saiorse was getting tired of his always insulting her friends.  Thankfully, she’d stopped bringing them around.  He honestly preferred the company of the goblins to Fae women.

_-So go topside and find a human girl.  You need the interaction._

He couldn’t argue with that.  It had been months since he’d spoken with another person.

“Sire!”

He looked up at the goblin that stood in the doorway, looking half afraid.

                “What is it?” Jareth all but snapped.  The goblin shrank back even further, and he was almost sorry for his tone.

                “Sire, your brother is here.”

                “Tell him I’m away.”

                He was in no mood to deal with Melot.  His brother had to be the most annoying creature in the Underground.

                “I’m shocked brother.  Hardly the hospitality you should extend to your family.”

                Melot’s mocking voice grated on Jareth’s nerves.  The younger man had simply appeared in the throne room, and was leaning on Jareth’s throne.

                “That you are my brother is the sole reason I haven’t dropped you head first into the Bog of Eternal Stench.  Don’t tempt me Melot.”

                “That won’t do.  What would father say if he could see and hear his precious firstborn now?”

                “He would no doubt wonder that my restraint has lasted so long.  Why are you here?”

                “Why, I’ve come to visit my dear older brother for awhile.  I’ve missed your company.”

                Jareth merely raised an eyebrow. Melot never visited for the pleasure of seeing his brother.  In three thousand years, they’d never gotten along.  For some reason, Melot had always envied Jareth his position as king.  The throne of the Goblin Kingdom was a constant source of fighting between them;  Melot felt that he would be the better ruler, never mind that Jareth was a millennia older.  Jareth’s mother had been a minor member of the Fae nobility, while Melot and Saiorse’s mother was sister to the High King himself.  Melot thought he should rule for that reason alone.  He would never visit Jareth willingly.

                “You were banished from Court, weren’t you?”

                The look of anger on Melot’s face told Jareth that he was right on target.  Melot had angered the High King, or someone close to him, enough to get himself banished.  Having nowhere else to go, he’s come to the Goblin Kingdom.  Jareth laughed.

                “Whose wife did you try to seduce?”

                Melot was rumored to have been sleeping his way through the Court.  Jareth stayed away as much as possible, so he didn’t know just how many of Melot’s supposed conquests were real, but he knew his brother enough to know that there was a basis in fact for those claims.

                “It’s none of your concern, brother.”

                “Oh but it is,” Jareth smirked.  “You came to me for accommodation; that makes it my concern.  I need to know if some angry Fae nobleman is going to come looking for you.”

                “Oh, shut up, Jareth.”

                Jareth laughed, looking at his brother, watching his eyes grow stormy and troubled.

                “No matter.  So long as you stay out of my way, you can stay here.  Just stay out of the Labyrinth.  It’s been fussy lately, with so few runners.  You wouldn’t want to be mistaken for a new toy.”

                Melot shuddered at that, sparking more laughter from Jareth.

                “Laugh all you want, brother.  It’s never tried to destroy YOU.”

                No, the Labyrinth had never destroyed him.  A human teenager had almost done what the most feared part of the Underground couldn’t do.

                _-You didn’t really love her, you know.  She was just a surprising distraction, after millennia of sameness.  The only thing she destroyed was your pride._

_-True.  She never would have lasted here, anyway.  But she was entertaining._

                “Just remember my warning.  And stay out of my way.  I do still have a kingdom to run.”

                He didn’t miss the hardening of Melot’s expression at that barb.  The younger man stalked off without a word, viciously kicking one of the guards as he left.  Jareth watched him leave and sighed.  He was very tired indeed.

 

                Melot was bored.  It had taken only one day with Jareth to remind him why he came to the Goblin Kingdom so rarely. Now three weeks had passed, and he thought he might go mad.

                There was so little to do here.  The goblins, while for the most part harmless, were also incredibly brainless.  It was truly like being surrounded by children.  The only person around to talk to was Jareth, and that was a bad idea.  They always seemed to end up fighting.  If Jareth would only see that he had no business as king.  His mother Isolde had been a daughter of one of the lesser nobles in the Fae Court.  Blood like that should never be allowed to rule.  The Goblin Kingdom deserved a better ruler than that.

                His own blood was far better.  Sylvan was a sister to Marek, High King of the Fae.  A throne was his birthright, and instead, simply because he was not first born, he had to make his way in the Court.  It was so unfair.  And now, because he’d almost succeeded in convincing Arionne to run away with him, he was banished even from the Court, to this forsaken place, with no one to amuse him.  He didn’t handle boredom well.

                If only there was another person here, someone he could talk to.  They needed fresh blood around here.  If Saiorse would visit, and bring some of her friends, the place would be much livelier.  He might even be able to bear his exile.  Yes, he would make his sister come.  She always managed to get along with both of them; surely, with Saoirse there they could keep the peace for the duration of his exile.

                His mind made up, he conjured up a crystal, and held it at eye level.

                “Saoirse.”

                “Melot?  Where are you?”

                The crystal was too small for either of them to have a good view through it, only their faces were distinct.

                “I’m in the Goblin Kingdom.  You have to come—“

                His twin was in the room standing beside him before he finished the sentence.

                “Whatever are you doing here?  Don’t tell me that the rumors are true.  Have you actually been banished?”

                “Temporarily.  Just until Tallis returns to his home.”

                “You were cuckolding  Tallis?”

                Saoirse smacked her brother in the head.  He yelped, and rubbed the now throbbing spot.

                “What was that for?”

                “For getting yourself exiled from Court over someone as empty headed as Arionne.  Tallis, of all husbands, will never just let this go. You know that.”

                “Enough with the lectures, Saoirse.  You have to come stay with me.”

                “Stay with you?”

                She raised one eyebrow at him in a gesture so typical of Jareth that Melot winced.

                “Yes.  You have to stay.  I’m losing my mind here Saoirse.  It’s so boring!”

                Saoirse looked at her brother in disbelief.  He really expected her to drop everything, including her husband and duties, to keep him company?  She shook her head.

                “Melot, you know very well that the demands on the kingdom leave me no time to visit.”

                “Surely you can stay for awhile—“ he began in his most wheedling tone.  Saoirse ignored it.

                “Not just now, Melot.  Haldrin is extremely busy.  I can’t leave him.  You’ll just have to entertain yourself for awhile.  And try to stay out of trouble.”

                “Saoirse, you can’t just leave me here with Jareth. I’ve already had three weeks of it!”

                “You brought this on yourself, Melot.  I can’t fix this for you.  Now, strange as it may sound, why don’t you try getting alone with Jareth?”

                “Get along with that low bred—“

                He was cut off by another smack to the head.  There were times when Saoirse could cheerfully kill her twin.  No wonder he and Jareth were always fighting.  Melot was so arrogant, even worse than their older borther.

                “I’m surprised he hasn’t already tossed you into the Bog of Eternal Stench.  You’re three thousand, four hundred, and seventy-eight years old, Melot!  Stop acting like a child of two hundred!”

                She disappeared in a huff, and transported herself to the study.  She wouldn’t waste a trip out here without stopping to see Jareth.  He looked up from his papers, a glare on his face for whoever had dared to disturb him.  He broke into a smile when he saw his younger sister.

                “Saoirse!  What brings you out here?  Tired of the Elves, are you?”

                “Not at all.  I was called by Melot, and since Haldrin was in a Council meeting, I came by.”

                Jareth stood, walked around his desk, and embraced his sister.  He hadn’t seen her in almost a year.  The Elven lands were far from the Goblin Kingdom; nearly the only time he saw Saoirse was at the formal gathering called by Marek.

                “Melot called you? “

                “Unfortunately yes. He’s bored.”

                Jareth snorted.  Leave it to Melot to expect everyone to drop everything to entertain him.  It was hard to believe that he and Saoirse were related.  Where his sister actually had a head on her shoulders, and showed concern for the affairs of the Underground, his brother only cared for himself.

                “Can you stay for dinner at least?”

                He rather enjoyed the prospect of an intelligent dinner partner. The goblins, when he mingled with them, were more like children.  He couldn’t really discuss anything with them.

                “I wish I could, but we’re meeting with the Dwarf ambassador.  Politics.”

                They shared a smile at their mutual distaste for politics, and Jareth hid his disappointment that her stay was so short.  He knew as well as she that there was no getting around the obligations that came with the office of ruler.

                “Well, Haldrin is having a ball in three weeks’ time.  You received an invitation.”

                “Did I?”

                He tried to recall the invitation, but with the mountain of paperwork on his desk, he knew it was likely that it had been lost. Of course, knowing the goblins, it could just have easily been destroyed.

                “I will make a point of coming.”

                He would have to rearrange his schedule a bit, in order to be out of the kingdom for more than a day.  Saoirse gave Jareth a quick farewell hug before disappearing.  Jareth watched after her for a minute before returning to the work of running the kingdom.  If only Melot was as easy a problem to solve.

 

 

               “I will make a point of coming.”

                He would have to rearrange his schedule a bit, in order to be out of the kingdom for more than a day.  Saoirse gave Jareth a quick farewell hug before disappearing.  Jareth watched after her for a minute before returning to the work of running the kingdom.  If only Melot was as easy a problem to solve.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Melot stayed back in the shadows well behind the two women as they shopped. He’d taken to daily excursions Aboveground, ever since Saoirse had abandoned him the week before. Four weeks in the Goblin Kingdom with Jareth. It was just too much to bear. The trip Aboveground was a much needed escape.  
He’d first noticed the woman on his second trip. He couldn’t say what it was about her that had garnered his attention; the only thing that really stood out was her hair, which fell down her back in waves and curls, a soft brown in color. He never got close enough to see the color of her eyes.  
They entered a woman’s clothing store and he stopped, taking a seat on one of the benches outside. He didn’t understand mortal fascination with these-what was the word-malls. Working so hard for the currency they used, only to spend it on clothes, or useless items they didn’t need. It was so much easier in the Underground. You simply wished for what you wanted, and you got it.  
The woman was holding a shirt up to her body, and her companion was saying something that made her smile. That smile was contagious; Melot found himself smiling in reaction. Something about this woman was worth watching. He had the feeling he would never be bored with her around. He had to find a way to get her to the Underground.

“Don’t look now, but that guy we picked up four stores back is sitting right on the bench outside.”  
Reagan stifled the urge to look up at Norah’s declaration. She’d first noticed the strange man when they came out of Black Lion. He was hard to miss; with his jet black hair and startlingly blue eyes, he somehow didn’t look quite human. She could have sworn she’d seen him before, but she couldn’t say where. Maybe walking around campus, though what he’d be doing on a college campus, she couldn’t say. He’d followed them through the last four stores they’d gone into.  
“What do you think of this one?”  
She held up a three-quarter sleeve button down shirt in a sapphire blue. She wanted some new clothes for work, it had been a long time since she’d bought anything new.  
“Awesome. It makes your eyes look really blue. You should wear it when you go over to Brucies!”

Reagan couldn’t hold back the laugh at that. Bruce was over seventy, but he’d been absolutely smitten with her since the day she started at the university. He always extended invitations to join him for the weekend at his country house, insisting that one of these days she would have to take him up on it.  
Looking up as she laughed, she saw that the man was indeed sitting on a bench. And he did appear to be watching her.   
“Okay, he’s really wierding me out now.”  
Norah risked another look over at the man, who was still watching them.  
“He’s hot. You should talk to him. You’re trying this on.”  
Norah handed Reagan a dress that she had pulled off the rack. It was a summer number, with small sprigged flowers against a white background. Not the kind of thing she normally wore, it was more fitting for a garden party than a college classroom. Norah shoved Reagan towards the fitting room, ordering her not to come out without the dress. Reagan bit back a retort, but did as she was told.  
It didn’t take long to shed her jeans and t-shirt, and slip the dress over her head, but by the time she was changed, Norah had returned with more clothes for her to try on. Norah tossed them over the top of the door, and Reagan hung them on the wall hooks.  
“Okay, let’s see the dress.”  
Reagan opened the door, and somewhat self-consciously, stepped outside. She ignored Norah’s catcalls and whistles, but she couldn’t ignore the stare of the man outside. He didn’t take his strange eyes off of her. Not liking the calculating glint in his eye, she immediately returned to the dressing room.  
Damn!  
She’d seen him, and run back into the dressing room. Melot hadn’t been able to stop staring at her when she emerged wearing a dress. She looked ethereal, almost Fae-like. Even though she was showing far too much skin; the dress was completely strapless, and the back was low enough to cause him to draw in a breath. He had to get her in his world. This woman would wreak absolute havoc on the Underground.   
How to do it?  
He couldn’t just take her, it wasn’t Samhain or Beltane. If he tried to take her on any other day, she would be able to escape. No, he had to get her down permanently. Anything against Fae law, and she would be allowed to return home, so it had to be done legally, which severely limited his options.  
If he could just get her to say the words—if she should fail the Labyrinth, she would be obliged to stay Underground. But how to get her to wish herself away? He doubted she was dissatisfied enough with her life to wish to leave it. He would have to trick her, somehow.  
He watched as she came out of the dressing room in yet another garment, and again, she looked him in the eye. She knew he was watching her. He rose and walked out of her field of vision, stopping out of view of the store. She mustn’t see him again, she mustn’t get overly suspicious. He hoped she didn’t remember running into him earlier in the week.  
Several minutes later, the two women exited the store, and walked past him. Melot made certain they didn’t see him, as he fell into step a short distance behind them. He was still trying to figure out how to get her Underground, when he heard them talking.  
“So, I want to see the new Gerard Butler movie tonight. You have to come with me”, her companion was saying.  
“I can’t. I promised I would babysit Cole tonight, so Ryan and Monica can go out. I’ll take a rain check, though. Maybe next weekend?”  
Babysitting? This could be helpful. Melot perked up, and paid closer attention.  
“How old is Cole now?”  
“He’s almost four. With an overactive imagination. He was out slaying dragons last week.”  
They both laughed at that, and Melot lingered back, an idea forming. He could see his plan begin to unfold. A boy with an overactive imagination? What luck. He could see her reading the child a bed time story, and what could be more harmless than a book? It wouldn’t be hard to plant the book on her, and all she would have to do is read the words out loud. This could be much easier than he expected.

Reagan pulled into the driveway, parking beside Ryan’s car, and climbed out. Making sure she had her keys in her hand, she locked up the car and made her way up the walkway to the front door. She rang the doorbell and immediately heard the sound of a child running.  
“I get it!” she could hear Cole yelling inside the house.   
“Cole, wait!” she heard Monica calling after him. A minute later, the door was opened, and Cole launched himself at her. She caught him as they collided, wrapping her arms around him.   
“Hey twerp!”  
“Rae!!”  
Grunting, she set him down and followed him inside.  
“Thank you so much for coming over tonight, Rae. Now we don’t have to worry about rushing back so the babysitter can get home before midnight.”  
“It’s no problem. Hey Cole, do you want to make cookies tonight?”  
“Cookies!”  
Cole ran back into the living room, and Reagan looked up to see Ryan coming down the stairs.  
“Rae, thanks for coming. We really appreciate it.”  
“It’s fine, Ryan. We’re gonna have lots of fun, aren’t we Cole?”  
“Cookies!”  
“You can definitely tell where his mind is. We’ll be back late tonight.”  
Monica shrugged into her coat and grabbed her purse.  
“Give mommy a kiss, Cole.”  
The boy hurled himself into his mother’s arms and she gave him an affectionate hug. This was followed by a hug from his father, and the two were out the door.  
“Okay twerp, let’s make some cookies.”  
“Cookies!”  
Reagan made her way to the kitchen and took two sticks of butter out of the refrigerator to soften, then started looking through cabinets, pulling down all of the ingredients to make cookies.  
“Cookies, Rae!!”  
“We’re going to make some, Cole. But the butter has to get soft first. What do you want to do while we wait?”

Three hours, one movie, four dozen cookies, and one demolished kitchen later, Reagan put Cole in the shower to wash off the dough he’d managed to get over everything. Once that was done, Cole was in his pajamas, ready for bed.  
“What book do you want to read?”  
He ambled over to his bookshelf and pulled out a small, red leather bound book, and handed it to Reagan. She looked at it blankly. The title, The Labyrinth, was embossed on the front cover in gold letters. Reagan was sure she had never seen this book before. It looked much too advanced for a four year old.  
“Where’d this come from, Cole?”  
“Funny man gave it to me.”  
“Funny man? What funny man?”  
“Came in earlier and gave book. Funny man.”  
“The funny man came in here? How’d he get in?”  
Was it possible that someone could have come in without her noticing? But, why would someone break in to leave a book? Reagan was growing uneasy with the entire situation.  
“Funny man flew in through window.”  
“Flew in?”  
“Yep. Funny man changed into bird!”  
Reagan shook her head. People didn’t turn into birds. Cole must have imagined it. Sighing, Reagan put the book down, and reached for another one from the shelf.  
“How about Good Night Moon?”  
Cole nodded his agreement, and Reagan put the other book out of her mind for the moment. She would have to ask Monica about it when they got back.  
By the time she finished the story, Cole’s eyes were drifting shut. Reagan softly closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. Then she knelt by the bed and listened as Cole prayed, and kissed him on the forehead.  
“Night night, Cole,” she said as she turned out the light. Only the dim light of the nightlight case a dull glow in the room.  
“Night, Rae,” Cole managed to get out before dropping off to sleep. Reagan grabbed the Labyrinth before pulling the door almost shut behind her, and settled into the couch in the living room.  
She was curious now, about the book. How had it ended up here? It looked old; her fingers gently caressed the worn leather. Where would this have come from? It looked like it belonged in a rare book store, not any place Ryan or Monica would shop.  
Reagan flipped the book open, but couldn’t find a publication date, or even a publisher. Strange. Shrugging, she burrowed into the couch and flipped to the first chapter.  
“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl—“  
What is this crap? Is the target audience a fifteen year old girl? It didn’t look like a trashy romance novel.  
Reagan choked back a laugh at the thought of either her brother or her sister-in-law reading this. After the first page, though, it felt like it was more of a young adult’s fairy tale than a romance novel. Maybe it was something along the lines of The Princess Bride. Maybe she could give this book a chance.  
Melot watched the girl from the tree outside. He saw her lips move as she read to herself. She was on the second or third page, at any moment, she would come across the words. If everything worked out, she would say them out loud. That was all it would take, and Jareth would have to take her Underground. And then, he could really have some fun. He could feel the wind start to pick up around him, and he strained to hear the girl. So close.  
Reagan read the lines and blinked. Had she really just read that correctly?  
“I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now. Seriously. What kind of brat would—“  
She cut off when she noticed how much the wind had picked up outside. The branches were tapping against the window, with a great deal of force. Funny, the news hadn’t said anything about a storm.  
A loud crash coming from Cole’s bedroom had her off the couch and racing up the stairs. As soon as she reached the room, she threw on the light. Cole was nowhere to be seen, but standing in the room was the strangest man Reagan had ever laid eyes on. Her mouth fell open at the stranger, with spiky blonde hair sticking out in all directions, and a pair of mismatched eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Jareth stood in the middle of the child’s room, looking at the young woman who’d summoned him. He started at the vehemence in her tone, and the question.

“You know perfectly well who I am.  You wished your son to me.”

He’d been quite surprised when he heard the wish.  The child had been sleeping quietly, and there’d been no indication of ill feeling in the room. The woman blinked, looking at him in confusion.

“What have you done with my nephew?” she demanded.

_Nephew?  So he’s not her child after all._

Jareth couldn’t say why that knowledge pleased him so much.  Nephew or son, she’d still wished him away.

“I’ve taken him, just as you asked.  And I’ve brought you a gift.”

He conjured up a crystal and held it out to her.  She made no move to take it.

“I don’t want your gift.  Just give me back Cole, and we’ll call it even.”

He began to juggle the crystal, over and under his palm, his eyes never leaving her face. This woman was feisty, he would give her that.  Good. Perhaps she felt some remorse.  Still, he had a job to do.

“You wished him to me.  I’m afraid that I can’t just give him back.  Besides, I’m offering you your dreams.”

The woman just stared at him, as if he’d taken leave of his senses.

“Okay. I don’t know what you want, but there are no drugs, or prescription medications, of any kind, in this house.  If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll have to go elsewhere.  Just give me back my nephew first.”

Jareth blinked.  He was only passingly familiar with Aboveground customs, but he would swear that she’d just called him a drug addict.  He’d taken enough children from such people to know that he’d just been insulted.  She honestly didn’t believe that he was the Goblin King.  She thought he was on some sort of hallucinogen. 

“I’m not looking for drugs.  I’m holding up my end of the bargain.  You wished away your nephew.  Now I have to offer your dreams, or a chance to run the Labyrinth and redeem him.

 

 

Reagan couldn’t believe this was happening.  This man was deadly serious.  She could see it in his eyes, and hear it in his voice.  He really believed that she’d wished Cole away, and he’d taken him.  She could feel the anger rising in her chest, and she swallowed hard, trying to force it back down.  This man had Cole.  And since she didn’t know where Cole was being held, killing him would do no good.  She couldn’t let her temper get the best of her. Not now.

“Alright, let’s pretend I believe you.  I never wished away my nephew.  So if you could return him, you can go on your way.”

“But you did wish him away.  You said the words, otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”

“Look, Goblin King.  I know you’re just doing your job or whatever, but I’m pretty sure I would remember wishing away Cole.”

He was now looking at her as though she’d gone mad.  Maybe they were both out of their minds.

“Did you, or did you not, say that you wished the goblins would take him away?  I could not be here if you had not said it.”

_Wait a minute.  No.  It wasn’t possible—_

“Are you telling me that this is because of that book?”

“Book?”

“Yes.  That book, Labyrinth, that I was just reading.  That line was in that book.”

“Would you be so kind as to bring me that book?”

“What about—“

Reagan bit off her retort as the man held up a hand to silence her.  King or not, she didn’t respond well to orders.

“We will get this sorted.  If you could bring the book.”

When she didn’t move, he sighed.

“I promise, your nephew will come to no harm at my hands.”

Reagan wanted to argue, but bit her tongue.  Apart from showing up in the house, the strangely dressed man had done nothing to her; she had no reason to believe he would lie.  She left him in the nursery, running downstairs to retrieve the book.

 

 

Jareth waited impatiently for the woman to return.  Something wasn’t right.  She was serious in her declaration that she hadn’t wished away the boy.  However, if she hadn’t, the goblins would never have been able to take him.  Jareth wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t made the wish. And now she was talking about a book? He’d tracked down all copies of the book, Labyrinth, the book that Sarah had used, and taken them Underground.  It shouldn’t be possible that this woman had one. She returned a few moments later and handed him the small volume.  Jareth recognized the worn red leather.  It was definitely one of his books.

“Where did this come from?”

“I don’t know.  Now can I get my nephew back, you have your book.”

“You don’t know where this came from?  It’s important—“

She was watching him like he’d grown two heads.  He knew she was concerned for the child, but he’d already promised no harm would come to the boy.  He needed answers.

“It was on Cole’s bookshelf. All he could say was that it came from a ‘Funny man’.  A man who turned into a bird and flew in through the window.  I thought he was just making up a story.  He has a fairly active imagination.”

A man who turned into a bird. Jareth didn’t like where his thoughts were taking him.  He knew only one other man who turned himself into a bird, and ventured Aboveground.  Jareth opened the book to the page that had been bookmarked, and his eyes widened slightly.  It was the page where the girl wished away the baby.

“Is this the page you were reading?”

He held the book out to her, and she looked at it, thinking.

“Yes.”

“Did you happen to say this line out loud?”

He pointed at the line where the baby was wished away.  He watched her lips move as she read the line to herself, and then her eyes widened.

“You mean that my reading that caused this?”

 The outrage was evident in her voice, and Jareth couldn’t blame her.  He had a sneaking suspicion he knew just who was responsible for this.

“I’m afraid so.”

“Well, clearly I didn’t actually wish away my nephew.  I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, but I’d like him back now.”

Jareth shook his head.  He could quite cheerfully murder Melot for this.

“I’m afraid it’s not so simple. You said the words that wished the child away.  Regardless of whether you meant them, or even realized you were saying them, they are magically binding. I have no option of returning the boy, no matter how much I might want to.”

“That’s—ridiculous!”

“Perhaps, but that’s the way it is.”

He was definitely going to kill Melot when he returned Underground.  His brother had really gone too far this time. The woman was staring at him, and he felt a stirring of sympathy. She hadn’t asked for this, any more than he had.

“Now what?  What happens to Cole?”

“You have the opportunity to get him back.”

With a wave of his hand, they were no longer in the house.  They were back in his kingdom, at the edge of the desert.  Reagan looked around her in awe.  This was unlike any place she’d ever seen.  At the foot of a small slope lay the largest structure she’d ever seen.  From this distance, she could see that it was a giant maze.  The Labyrinth.  It really was real, and in the center stood a castle.  It was so vast.

_If this is real, was mother really sane?  What if everything else is real?  Back to the point. Cole._

“So, what is this?” she asked, turning back to the Goblin King.  “You said something earlier about running the Labyrinth.  I assume you meant this?”

“Yes.”  He was suddenly standing right behind her.  She hadn’t heard him move.

“You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth.  Your nephew is in my castle.  Succeed, and you can take him home.”

“Thirteen hours?”

 “Thirteen hours.”  He pointed at a clock, which Reagan hadn’t seen before.  She wasn’t startled by the fact that there were thirteen hours on the face.  She was startled by the fact that the clock was suspended from nothing.  It appeared to float in midair.

“Take this.”  He was handing her the book, and she took it numbly.  “It may help you, since I am unable to do so.”

She looked at him questioningly.  Did he want to help her?  Strange thought, shouldn’t he want to stop her and keep Cole?  Imagine, the Goblin King wanting to not keep a child.  He gave her an unreadable look, then faded into nothing.  She looked around her for a moment, trying to process the fact that he’d really just disappeared.

“Well, no time to waste.”

She walked/slid down the slope to the giant walls, noticing that everything, even the dirt, seemed to be unnaturally glittery.  The walls were covered in some kind of ivy, and for a moment, Reagan wondered whether it was sturdy enough to climb, then dismissed the thought.  There had to be a door somewhere.

The flutter of wings caught her eyes.  Something was flying around the plants on the wall.  They didn’t look like any kind of insect Reagan had ever seen, and she moved closer to investigate.  They looked like tiny people.

“Fairies?”

What kind of place was this?  Real fairies?  One flew up to her, looking at her curiously, and she held out her hand.  It landed on her palm, and she brought it up closer to her face.  She felt a sharp nip, and realized that the fairy had bitten her.  She shook her hand violently, tossing the fairy away in disgust.

“Vicious little thing.  You’d think someone would get rid of them or something.”

She looked back up at the wall and stopped in surprise.  Where before there had been nothing but wall, now there was a door.

“How in the—“

She wasn’t going to question her good fortune.  Pulling open the door, she stepped inside the Labyrinth.  She had a long way to go.

 

 

“Melot!  Where are you?!  I know you did this!!”

Jareth yelled, but there was no answer.  Melot’s self preservation instincts must have finally kicked in, he was nowhere in sight.  Jareth conjured up a crystal.

“Show me Melot,”  he ordered.  He saw an image of a hawk flying through the trees, and hurled the crystal at the wall.  The coward was hiding out Aboveground, and Jareth was stuck with the mortal boy.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay Aboveground,” he muttered to no one in particular.  Sighing, he made his way to the throne room, where the goblins had taken the boy.  The child was wide awake (transportation by goblin would do that) and crying.  Several of the goblins were trying to make him laugh, but he was having none of it.

“Rae!” the little boy sobbed.

“Quiet!” Jareth yelled at the goblins that surrounded the child.  All but one of them grew silent and backed out of the way.  The remaining goblin Jareth kicked out of the way, and he lifted the boy up to his eye level.

“Hello there, young man.”

The boy continued to sob, eyeing Jareth warily.

“I want Rae!”

“Rae?  Would that be your auntie?”

“Rae!” he nodded as he cried.

“Well then.”

Jareth carried the boy and sat down on the throne with him.

“Rae is trying to find you, right now.  If she makes it, you get to go home.  Do you want to see her?”

The boy, had Rae called him Cole?  Yes. Cole nodded, and Jareth conjured up another crystal and held it up for the boy to see.  Rae had made it to the main wall, and Jareth could just see her swatting away a fairy, shaking out her hand.

“You’d think someone would get rid of them or something,” she was muttering to herself.

Wait a minute.  Just where was that dwarf whose job it was to get rid of those annoying fairies?  He knew the dwarf was supposed to be working.  Part of his job was to meet any runners, and get them inside.  If Rae couldn’t—ah.  As he watched, she found the doors.  Good.  She was in.

“Rae!!”

Cole was trying to grab the crystal, and he was calling to Rae.  Jareth held the crystal just out of the boy’s reach.

“Careful, you don’t want to break this.  Then you can’t see her anymore.  And she can’t hear you.  You have to wait for her to get here.”

He hoped she made it through.  It was completely unfair for Melot to put the girl through this.  Jareth didn’t even want to make it harder for her, which was a very rare thing for him.  But he couldn’t help her.  All that he could do was refrain from hindering her.

“I want Rae!”  Cole sniffed, watching the crystal again.

“I know you do, young man.  But you must be tired, yes?  Why don’t you take a nap?”

The compulsion in his words put the boy to sleep almost immediately, and with a wave of his hand, pillows and blankets appeared.  He laid the boy down and went back to watching the woman.

 

Reagan bit her lip to keep from screaming in frustration.  She’d been walking for several minutes, but still hadn’t found any turns or passageways.  How could this be called a labyrinth?

_No.  There has to be a turn somewhere.  You saw it from the hill.  You just have to find them._

Right.  There had to be a turn—wait.  She thought back to the opening doors.  They hadn’t been there to start with.  They’d appeared. 

_This isn’t like the mazes at home.  Don’t take anything for granted._

An idea occurred to her, and she stretched her arms to the sides.  There had to be openings somewhere, maybe she just couldn’t see them.  She hadn’t walked more than fifty feet with her arms out before she encountered only air where there should have been a solid wall.  Stopping, she stared at the spot.  It appeared solid, but Reagan wasn’t touching stone.  Taking a deep breath, she walked straight at the wall, hands extended in front of her, and found the opening.


	4. Chapter 4

Reagan bit back a curse as she held up her hand.  An angry gash ran across the palm, a gift from a tree she’d grabbed onto. The cackling she heard from all around her made her incredibly uneasy.  She would swear something was stalking her.

 

She’d entered the forest after making her way through the stone maze, and narrowly missing a trapdoor.

 

_I think I would have preferred staying in the stone walls._

 

Something about this forest disturbed her.  It felt--evil.  Almost malevolent.  There was something in this forest that didn’t feel right.

 

The blood dripping down her hand jerked her from her thoughts back to the present. The sun had moved steadily during her travels, and she had no idea how much time she had left.  She couldn’t let this injury slow her down.  Gritting her teeth, she ripped a strip off the bottom of her shirt and used it as a makeshift bandage, wrapping it around her hand.  She winced as she pulled it tight across the cut, tucking in the ends.  Without any antibiotics, there was a greater risk of infection, and she needed to keep it as clean as she could.

 

The strange laughter came again, and Reagan looked around.  She still saw nothing, and started walking again.  Her feet were screaming at her, but she had no time to rest.  And she didn’t want to stop in this forest.  Maybe once she was out of it, she would be able to take a short break.

 

A loud growl spurred her onward.  Whatever that was, it sounded angry.  The laughter was all around her now, keeping pace with her.  She nearly screamed when the strangest looking creature she’d ever seen jumped out of the trees at her, laughing maniacally. It was orange in color, with its head and body covered in feathers.  Its arms and legs were feather free, but long and gangly, and it had a bird-like beak and large eyes.

 

“What the hell are you?”

 

“Hey there girlie!” another of the creatures yelled as it jumped out of a tree.  In moments she was surrounded by half a dozen bird-like creatures.

 

“Okay, what do you want?”

 

She tried to walk away, but every time she broke through, she was again surrounded.

 

“Look, I have to get moving, so if we could move this along—“

 

“What’s your hurry, little lady?  Don’t you want to stay and play?”

 

To her shock and utter amazement, they started singing.  One of them removed a hand, and threw it into a fire that started on it’s own. Reagan blinked when the hand reappeared.

 

_What kind of place is this?_

Feeling an even greater need to get away, she tried again to push her way through the creatures, but got nowhere.

 

“Hey, let’s play volleyball!” one of them yelled.

 

“Good idea.  Whose head we gonna use?”

 

One of them actually removed their head and started bouncing it like a ball.

 

“Let’s use the lady’s!”

 

This idea quickly spread, and Reagan backed up.  One of the creatures jumped up and, landing on her shoulders, started pulling on her head.

 

“Hey!  It don’t come off!!”

 

“Get off me!”

 

She reached up for the thing, and finding a body part, pulled.  The creature was now missing an arm, and she tossed away.

 

“Hey lady! You can’t take someone else’s arms! You gotta use your own!”

 

Reagan was really starting to feel panicked, and she could feel a build up of energy within.  Closing her eyes, she felt it leave, and when she opened them again, the creatures were laying in pieces on the ground.  Unbelievably, they were still talking to each other. 

 

“What just happened?!”

 

“Hey, that’s my arm you gnawin’ on, man!”

 

“Hey lady, come back!”

 

Reagan wasted no time in taking off.  She didn’t want to be anywhere nearby when they pulled themselves back together.  And next time, she might actually kill them.

 

 

Jareth watched the entire even through his crystal, and his eyes widened in surprise.  Did the Fireys really just blow apart on their own?  Something wasn’t right about this.  How would Rae be able to do that?

As he watched, she took off, obviously trying to put as much distance between her and them as possible.  She really was doing fairly well, better than most runners.  She should make it within the time limit.

 

He’d no sooner had that thought than he felt a shift in the Labyrinth.  He also felt a brief surge of anger, and a determination to stop this runner.

 

_Let her go.  She doesn’t belong here._

He was surprised by the labyrinth’s absolute refusal to obey him.  It might be sentient, but he was still Master.

 

_Let her go.  This was a setup by Melot.  She shouldn’t be here._

 

The reply he felt was complete indifference to that truth, and as he watched, the walls rearranged themselves, guiding her back towards the beginning.  He looked at the clock.  She had less than six hours left.  If she went back to the beginning, she would never make it.

 

_What are you doing?_

_Keeping her-_ was the mental reply he received, and his eyes snapped open in response.  The labyrinth rarely replied with words; only when it was truly serious about something.

This was bad.  By law, the only assistance Jareth could give a runner was to not hinder them.  If the Labyrinth itself was determined to keep her, she was all but doomed.  He couldn’t help her.  And the book wouldn’t be of much help, not with the Labyrinth actively trying to stop her.

 

If she lost, Jareth was going to hunt Melot down and slowly kill him.  Angry, he conjured up a crystal and hurled it at the wall.  He felt a questioning from the Labyrinth, wondering why he was so upset.

 

_It’s wrong to keep the girl here when she didn’t wish away a child.  Making her lose—what are you doing?_

_Keeping her._

_Keeping?  Why do you want her to stay so badly?_

He received no answer, so he sat back on his throne and conjured up another crystal, watching Reagan lose more and more ground.

 

“Come on, woman.  Realize you’re going the wrong way.  Turn around.”

 

 

 

Reagan walked for an hour before she realized something was wrong.  Her hand was throbbing, and her stomach was reminding her how long it had been since she’d eaten. To top it off, she had the distinct feeling that she was going in the wrong direction.

 

“C’mon Reagan, you’re a smart woman.  What’s going on here?  You need to find out if you’re going the wrong way.”

 

Gritting her teeth, she started climbing the wall, ignoring the burning pain in her hand.  She held on as a violent tremor ran through the wall, almost as if it was trying to knock her off.  As soon as it passed, she climbed up to the top.  The castle was much further away than it had been.  This damned thing was herding her in the wrong direction.

 

_You want to be that way?  Fine.  If you can cheat, so can I._

Making sure she was pointed in the right direction, she walked along the top of the wall until she reached the end and swung herself off.  She ran the few feet to the next wall, and vaulted herself up and over.  She made it over four more walls before her momentum ran out, and her hand became unbearable.  Cradling it, she sank to the ground beside the wall.

 

“You’re cheating, you know.”

 

Reagan looked up at that cultured voice, to see the Goblin King leaning carelessly against the opposite wall.  She shot him a glare.

 

“You’re cheating, so I feel no guilt in doing so myself.”

 

“I’m doing nothing, Rae.  I don’t control this labyrinth.”

 

“You know my name?” she eyed him with suspicion.

 

“Your nephew told me.”

 

That would explain him getting it wrong.

 

“Is he alright?”

 

Jareth nodded, eyeing her.  He’d been pleasantly surprised when she started going over the walls, making steady progress.  She was the first runner to have any success with that little trick.

 

“He’s sleeping now.”

 

“He must be scared.”

 

“He was.  That’s why I put him to sleep.  It’s completely safe—“ he continued when he saw that she was about to say something.  She quickly closed her mouth.

 

“How is your hand?”

 

She looked up at him as if he’d grown a second head, but held out her hand.

 

“Hurts like hell, if you must know.”

 

Jareth carefully removed the makeshift bandage, which was ripped in several places, from her trip over the walls.  The cut was quite deep, and the beginnings of an infection had already set in.  He removed his gloves and took her hand in his, closing his eyes and concentrating.  When he opened his eyes again, the gash was healed.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

She didn’t sound frightened or anxious, but genuinely curious.  He kept a hold on her hand and pulled her to her feet.

 

“You only have four and a half hours left.  You can’t afford to lose any time because of that hand.  The Labyrinth will do it’s best to stop you, without any other burdens.”

 

He let go of her hand, and backed away.

 

“Wait.  Why are you being so nice to me?  Isn’t that against your rules?”

 

“You shouldn’t be here in the first place.  I didn’t think it—right—to hinder you.  And yes, my healing you is against the rules.  But if the Labyrinth is going to cheat I might as well do a bit of cheating myself.

 

He gave her a smirk as he faded away, and she shook her head.  She didn’t understand this strange man.

 

_You have more important things to worry about than the handsome kidnapper.  You’re running out of time._

Four and a half hours.  And she was now not even two-thirds of the way through.  Her hand felt much better since the Goblin King healed it, with a few more minutes, she would be able to start scaling walls again.  Just a short rest and she would be ready to continue.  She closed her eyes, determined to take just a few moments to rest.

 

Melot watched the girl from his perch on the tree.  She’d gotten much further than he’d expected, and for a few minutes he’d feared he would have to interfere.  Then the Labyrinth itself had started rearranging its walls, sending her in the wrong direction.  He was glad to know that he had an ally, since Jareth obviously wanted to send her home.  Melot was certain that his brother would actually help the woman beat him, if he could.

 

When Melot first realized that Jareth was less than happy at his actions, he’d immediately retreated Aboveground.  As long as Jareth was occupied with the child, Melot was safe.  Indeed, Jareth had been so involved with the child and the woman, he hadn’t even noticed when Melot returned to the Underground, which was most fortunate for him.

 

He laughed internally as she started scaling the walls once she realized she’d been turned around.  No one had ever done that before.  He watched as she made it over six walls, effectively cutting out a half hour of wandering.  His eyes narrowed as she sank to the ground, cradling her hand.  She was injured?  That had never been his intention.  Jareth was there before she even made it all the way to the ground, but she didn’t notice him until he spoke.  She glared at him, but allowed him to touch her hand.  Melot watched as he removed his gloves and took her hands in his bare ones.  Such delicious intimacy, Melot shivered at just the thought.

 

Once this girl-woman-was a permanent resident of the Underground, Melot would turn his attention to her.  She was such an unique creature, quite unlike the other humans Melot had known.  Or Fae.  Arionne was quite forgotten, beautiful though she was.  Tallis could have his little wife. This woman, though.  Oh yes. Melot would enjoy this.  The thought that she might not accept him never entered his mind.

 

Jareth spoke with the girl some more, and left her.  Melot continued to watch her, and after a few more minutes of rest, she began her assault on the Labyrinth.  She seemed to have a new determination to win, and the Labyrinth was responding, working harder to prevent it.

 

_Good.  Don’t let her out in time.  We want her to stay, don’t we?_

He felt the Labyrinth agreeing with him.  Good.  She only had a few more hours left, it shouldn’t be too hard to slow her down and keep her from the castle.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Reagan was exhausted.  She’d climbed over too many walls to count, and she was regaining some of the ground she’d lost when the labyrinth started trying to turn her around.  The down side was that it was much more tiring to climb and walk, or vault, over a wall than to walk.  She wouldn’t be able to keep it up much longer.  It had been hours since she’d last eaten, let alone slept.  She was probably at her physical weakest at this point.  However, there was nothing she could do but go on.  She would never just give up.

 

_C’mon, Reagan.  You’re almost there.  Just a few more walls to go.  Then you can get Cole and go home._

Cole.  She had to keep her focus on Cole.  If she just kept thinking about Cole, she could push past the exhaustion, the hunger.  She had to get Cole back.  That was all that mattered.

 

Gritting her teeth, she climbed to the top of the wall.  Yes. Only five more to go.  After that, she hoped it would be smoother sailing.  The Goblin King had said that he wouldn’t try to stop her, so if she could just make it to the castle, she should be home free.  She never noticed the hawk keeping a close eye on her, or the trap door that opened beneath her when she landed on the ground.

 

 

Jareth watched in some confusion, unsure of exactly what he was seeing.  When he’d left Rae at the Labyrinth, he’d come back to find Cole awake, and he’d had to keep the boy entertained.  That hadn’t proven difficult, just time consuming.  When he’d finally gotten the child to settle down, the boy had insisted on seeing Rae again.  Naturally, Jareth had conjured a crystal, but all was dark.

 

_Where is she?_

 

He mentally questioned the Labyrinth, but received no reply.  Frowning, Jareth tried to figure out what was wrong.  It wasn’t yet the thirteenth hour, which was the blackest part of night in the Underground.  When he’d left her, she was still scaling walls.  She should have made it to the junkyard by now.

 

An oubliette.  It had to be an oubliette, thought Jareth knew he had closed them off two years ago. They tended to cause too many problems with runners.  Now he only ever used them if the child wished away had been abused by the runner.  He felt no qualms about leaving a child abuser to rot in a black hole.

 

_Did you put her in there?_

The images he received were of parents tucking their children into bed, or strapping them into child seats in those human automobiles.  Images that project the feeling of keeping a loved one safe.

 

_Why can’t you see that she doesn’t belong here?_

Feelings of vehement opposition immediately flooded his mind.  It was like arguing with a child.

 

“Let her go,” he said quietly.

 

_Not yet,_ was the reply. Jareth looked up at his clock.  The woman only had a half hour left. Considering the progress she’d made, she had to be in the oubliette nearest the castle.

 

“Wanna see Rae!”  Cole was demanding incessantly.  Holding Cole tightly, Jareth transported them both to the Labyrinth entrance.  As he expected, the dwarf was at his job, spraying the fairies.

 

“Hello Hedgewort.”

 

Startled, Hoggle dropped his spray can as he jumped several inches.

 

“Yer Majesty!”  he stammered as he turned around.  His eyes widened at the child in Jareth’s arms, and Jareth simply stared at thim.

 

“Higgle-“

 

“Hoggle!”

 

“Yes.  There’s a runner, in the oubliette nearest the castle.  I want you to bring her directly to me.  Use the underground passage.”

 

They all disappeared in a burst of glitter;  Hoggle to the oubliette, Jareth and Cole to the throne room to await the woman’s arrival.

 

 

Reagan cursed the blackness around her, even as she tried to feel for injuries.  She’d gone over the last wall, and fallen directly into this black hole, hitting her head quite hard.  She had no idea how long she’d been unconscious.  Fortunately, nothing felt broken, but there was now no light by which to see.

 

_How am I supposed to find my way out now?  Think Reagan.  Don’t let the darkness get to you._

That was easier said than done.  She wasn’t afraid of the dark, but this pitch blackness was overwhelming.  She couldn’t even see her hand in front of her face.

 

“Are you there, Goblin King?”  she asked into the dark.  It never occurred to her that he might not be able to hear her, he seemed to know everything that went on.

 

A dim glow suddenly broke the darkness, growing brighter, until Reagan could make out that it was coming from a lamp.  In seconds, the lamp dispelled the blackness, and Reagan took the opportunity to look around.  It was then that she noticed the small creature holding the lamp, who stood looking at her.

 

“What- who are you?”

 

“Name’s Hoggle.  And I’m a dwarf.”

 

“How did you get in here?”

 

“The King sent me to bring you to the castle.”

 

Reagan pushed herself to her feet, and couldn’t stop from crying out at the pain in her foot.  It might not be broken, but it was definitely twisted.  How would she ever make it to the castle?

 

“C’mon, we ain’t got long.  Got to get movin’, “ her strange little guide was telling her.  Hissing as she stepped on her bad foot, she made her way as quickly as she could.

 

“Is it far?”

 

“Far enough.”

 

 She bit back the sharp retort that tried to slip past her lips, and continued walking.  The pain was excruciating, but she said nothing.  The dwarf was urging her to move faster, and she tamped down the anger growing inside her.  He was trying to help her, after all.

 

The only light in the underground corridor came from the lantern the dwarf carried, and Reagan pushed herself to keep him in her sights

 

 

Melot watched Jareth and the child from the shadows, still in his hawk form.  Time was almost up, and the woman was trapped in the oubliette.  Just a few more minutes, and she would lose.  Jareth was waiting, impatiently, almost as if he was expecting the woman to magically appear.  He should know she was in the oubliette, she would never make it out in time.  Maybe his brother was finally starting to see the benefits of her failure.  He had to be waiting for the clock to strike thirteen.

 

Only two minutes left.  Good.  She had failed. 

 

Melot’s mouth fell open when the door to the throne room opened, and the woman limped in.  The fall must have injured her.  She looked furious, but Melot didn’t care about that.  All that mattered was that he stop her from saying the words that would win the game.

 

“Give me the child.”

 

At that statement, Melot swooped down, flying at her head.  His intent wasn’t to hurt the woman, merely to keep her distracted for a minute.  She swatted at him, trying to shake him off, and succeeded in flinging him away.  He hit the wall, and for a second was disoriented, reverting back to his human form.  He was so close, he wasn’t about to let her win.

 

Now in his human form, he rose from the ground and grabbed her from behind, clamping a hand over her mouth.  Jareth was ordering him to release her, but he ignored his brother as the clock began to strike thirteen.  One--- two---- three---

 

Reagan struggled in earnest against her attacker as the clock chimed.  She was out of time, and had to say the words.  The Goblin King was shouting at whoever was holding her, but he/she didn’t break.  Reagan kicked behind her, and had the satisfaction of knowing she’d made contact.  Most definitely male.  That had to hurt.

 

Nine--- ten---- eleven---

 

When her captor still didn’t let go, Reagan put all of her effort into slamming her head back, and she heard bone break.  She was instantly released amid a string of curses.

 

“You have no power over me!” she yelled out as a single word, and it took her a moment to register the look of anger and sadness on the Goblin King’s face, and the fact that the clock had fallen silent.


	5. Chapter 5

“Give me Cole.”  Reagan demanded.

 

The Goblin King sighed, but maintained his hold on Cole.  He wouldn’t look at her, instead looking at the man who’d held her.  She turned around to see just who had sabotaged her, and her eyes widened.

 

“You!”

 

It was the man who’d followed her in the mall.  The otherworldly looking man who’d watched her shopping.  And the bastard had the nerve to look please with himself, despite trying to staunch his nosebleed.  Reagan whirled on him, intent on hitting him again.  He had the nerve to laugh.  This time, when she felt the rage building, she did nothing to stop it, and a blast of energy sent him flying into a wall.  She had the pleasure of hearing his head hit the wall with a sickening thud.  Good.  She hoped she killed him.  She then turned her attention to the Goblin King, who watched in surprise.

 

“Give me my nephew.”

 

She started to walk towards them, and was reminded of her twisted ankle.  She had to lean against the wall to stay upright, and hoped she didn’t pass out from the pain.  Jareth immediately handed the child over to a goblin and approached the woman.

 

“Don’t come any closer!”  she held out her hand in warning, and he stopped.  He held his hands up in front of him.

 

“I want only to see to your injuries.”

 

She glared at him.

 

“I don’t need your assistance. Just give me Cole.”

 

Jareth dropped his hands and sighed.  This was not going well.

 

“I’m afraid that’s not possible, Rae.  You lost.”

 

“No, I was attacked.  I made it through your damned puzzle, so give me my nephew.”

 

“You made it to the castle, yes, but you didn’t say the words.  You failed to complete the Labyrinth.”

 

“Bullshit.”

 

He blinked, both at the word she used, and the fury in her voice.  He could see that she was in great pain, but wisely refrained from getting any closer to her.  Melot was still lying on the floor from her last outburst.

 

“I wish it was, but the fact is that you failed.”

 

“He attacked me!  You know damn well that I would have finished if not for that bastard!”

 

“That is true, but unfortunately, his actions are not against the laws of the Labyrinth.”

 

“It’s legal to stalk someone and basically kidnap them?!”

 

“Stalk?  I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar with that word.”

 

“He followed me, repeatedly, in my world.  I’d bet money that he’s the one that planted your precious book.”

 

Understanding dawned, and Jareth felt an even greater desire to kill his younger brother.  If there had been any doubt that Melot was the cause of this mess, it was gone.  Melot had hunted the woman, and planted the book so that she would say the words necessary to bring the child here.

 

“His actions are reprehensible, but not illegal.  It is acceptable for members of the Royal family to interfere against a runner.”

 

She just glared at him, disbelieving.

 

“You must let me see to your injury.  It must be healed before I can return you Aboveground.”

 

“I’m not going back without Cole!”

 

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice.  You lost, the boy can’t return with you.”

 

“I’m not leaving here without him.” 

 

“You can’t stop me from sending you home, Rae.”

 

“Send me home without Cole, and I’ll just wish myself back.  Again, and again, and again. I will keep coming back, until you decide that you would rather see an outbreak of the plague in your castle than my damned face again.”

 

He could tell that she was serious, and bit back an angry curse.  Losing his temper with the woman wasn’t going to get them anywhere.  And he was fair enough to admit that she had a right to her anger.  Unfortunately, that counted for nothing.

“The laws are clear. If a runner fails, the child is forfeit.  I can’t return him to you.”

 

“And I can’t go back and tell my brother that I lost his child.  Do you have any idea what that would do to them?”

 

“They won’t remember him.  You won’t remember him.  It will be as if he never existed.”

 

Reagan shook her head.

 

“That’s not acceptable.  They tried for years before they were finally able to have Cole.  Sending them back to thinking they’ll never have children- it’s too cruel.  You have no concept of what they went through to have him.”

 

Jareth resisted the urge to shake the woman.  Did she really think he wanted to send her home empty handed?  That he wanted to keep this child that should never have been here?  He shook his head wearily.  They had reached an impasse, and he wanted only to be done with all of it.  He could just send her back at this moment, regardless of what she threatened, but something in him rebelled at the idea.  It was too—callous.

 

“There’s another way.”

 

They both turned to see that Melot had regained consciousness, and was getting to his feet.

 

“Melot, haven’t you caused enough trouble?”

 

“What other way,”  Reagan asked at the same time.

 

“You could take the boys place.  You stay here, and the child will go home.”

 

“Melot, I swear by all that’s holy-“

 

“I’ll do it.”

 

Jareth broke off mid-oath and turned back to the woman, not certain he’d heard her correctly.

 

“What was that?”

 

“I’ll do it.  Send Cole home, and I’ll stay here.  It’s the only option I can live with.”

 

Jareth glanced back at Melot, who wore a satisfied smirk.  No doubt this was what he’d planned from the start.

 

“You don’t know what you’re offering.  What you’d be giving up.  The child will have a good life here.”

 

He couldn’t let himself hope that she would actually stay.  No runner ever offered themselves when they lost.

 

“Look, if someone has to stay, then that’s me.  Cole belongs home, with his parents. Not here with you strange—beings.  No matter how good a life you say he’ll have.”

 

Jareth closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.  He could feel a migraine setting in.  He wanted nothing more than for all of this to be a bad dream. Opening his eyes again, he looked at Rae.  She was standing up to him vehemently, and at the same time, he could see the pain she was in.  He was surprised that she hadn’t already fainted.  Saving her nephew meant that much to her, that she was ignoring her injury, and her common sense.

 

“You have to understand something, Rae.  If I do this, you can never go back Aboveground again.  You have to stay here, forever. And your family will never know you existed.”

 

He watched her carefully, half hoping that she would withdraw the offer.  Her expression was horrified, but after a moment, the determined look he was beginning to recognize resurfaced.”

 

“I understand.  Send Cole home.”

 

He snapped his fingers, and the goblin returned with Cole.

 

“Rae!”  Cole reached for her, but Jareth took him.

 

“Please.  Let me say goodbye to him.”

 

Cole was fighting to get out of Jareth’s arms, so Jareth put him down.  He ran straight to Reagan, and she scooped him up, holding him close, despite her bad leg.

 

“Are you alright, honey?”

 

“Wanna go home,” he sniffed.  She used her shirt to wipe the tears and dirt from his face.

 

“We’re going home in just a minute Cole.”

 

She hugged him to her as Jareth reached for him, and she glared at the man.  Cole had his arms around her neck, hanging on for dear life.  Jareth mouthed the words ‘five minutes’, and Reagan nodded.  As soon as she acknowledged him, he grabbed Melot, and the two men disappeared.


	6. Chapter 6

Several servants stopped to gawk at the two men who suddenly appeared in the great room.  A Fae woman stopped speaking midsentence, her eyes widening in surprise.  She quickly finished her instructions and dismissed them all when she saw the furious look on her stepson’s face.

 

“Jareth?  Melot?  What happened?”

 

“Hello mother”  Melot answered cheerfully. Jareth let him go, and sent him sprawling across the floor. 

 

“Jareth, I want an explanation.”

 

“Where’s father?  I need to speak with him immediately.”

 

Sylvan’s eyes narrowed.  Jareth never used that tone with her.  It must be very serious indeed.

 

“He’s in his study.”

 

Jareth left them without another word, transporting himself to the study.  Sure enough, his father was there, sitting at his desk, hard at work.

 

“Father.”

 

“Jareth!  This is a surprise.”

 

Renault gestured for his son to have a seat, wondering what brought him here so late.  He knew it was well past thirteen o’clock.  Indeed, he’d been at the point of quitting for the night.

 

“It’s been a long time, my son.  What brings you to us tonight?”

 

“Melot.  He cannot stay with me any longer.”

 

“I know the two of you have had your differences—“

 

“It’s much more serious than he and I not getting along, Father,” Jareth interrupted him, “He tricked a mortal woman into wishing away a child, and then he stopped her from saying the words that would send them home.”

 

“I’m sure it can’t be worse than anything you’ve done to distract a runner.  I fail to see-“

 

“She made it to the castle, Father.  Melot physically restrained the woman until the time was up.  I’d say that’s much more serious than simple distraction.”

 

“Surely you two can—“

“He’s no longer welcome in the Goblin Kingdom.”

 

Renault sat, stunned, at that proclamation.  He’d never seen Jareth more serious, or more furious, in the boy’s lifetime. 

 

“Now if you’ll excuse me, Father, I have to try to clean up his mess.  Do tell Sylvan I wish I could have stayed longer.”

 

 With that Jareth disappeared again, leaving Renault to stare at the place he’d just been standing.  How would he ever keep the peace between his sons now?

 

 

 

Reagan looked up when the Goblin King reappeared, and hugged Cole tightly.

 

“Close your eyes, Cole.  We’re going home.”

 

Jareth watched the woman, wishing he didn’t have to do what he was about to do.  For once, he truly hated being Goblin King.  He wanted to somehow make it easier on his new guest. He murmured a few soft words, and the boy in her arms was asleep.

 

“Is there anything of yours that you’d like me to bring back?” he asked as he took the child from her.  Perhaps, if she had some of her own possessions, it might help her settle in.

 

“Some of my clothes would be appreciated.  And my dog.”

 

Funny, he’d seen no sign of an animal when he’d taken Cole, but he nodded his agreement, and in a heartbeat, he was standing back in the boy’s house.  He place the child in his bed, and went in search of Rae’s things.  All he found in the bedroom was a duffle back, which held what appeared to be gym clothes, and a purse.

 

 

_What dog is she talking about?_

 

A thought occurred to him, and he opened up her purse, pulling out her wallet.  If this boy was her nephew, it stood to reason that this was her brother’s home.  She might very well live somewhere else.

 

He pulled out her driver’s license, which confirmed it.  He looked at the address before closing his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was standing in a different home.  A small black dog ran up to him, barking madly.

 

“Quiet.”

 

The dog immediately stopped barking, and sat.  Jareth went through the dwelling, gathering article that looked to have sentimental value, and all of her clothing.  Lastly, he picked up the dog, and transported everything back to the castle, to find Rae still leaning against the wall.  Damn. He’d forgotten about healing her ankle.

 

The moment he set the dog on the floor, it ran for Rae, and she picked him up.  Jareth approached her cautiously, and she eyed him warily.

 

“I intend only to heal your injury.”

 

She nodded, and he stepped up to her and lightly gripped her arms.  She felt the room begin to spin, and closed her eyes.  When she opened them again, they were in an opulent bedroom, decorated in shades of blue and gold.  As the king gently pushed her back on the bed, she noticed distantly that the bed curtains were made of the finest silk.

 

“What are you doing?” she asked as he sat on the bed next to her. He’d promised to heal her foot.  If he tried anything else, she wouldn’t be responsible for her actions.

 

“Only healing your ankle.  I promise.”

 

He removed her shoe as carefully as he could, then her sock.  The ankle was badly twisted, and the swelling was now noticeable.  He was surprised she’d been able to walk at all.  He gently placed his hands around her ankle and closed his eyes, concentrating.  Reagan felt a strange warmth and tingling, and then it was gone.  She looked down, and her ankle was perfectly normal.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome, Rae.”

 

“Reagan.”

 

He looked at her, surprised.

 

“My name is Reagan.  Cole had trouble pronouncing it, so he called me Rae, but it’s Reagan.”

 

“Reagan.”

 

It suited her, in a strange way.  She was now looking around the room, and he took a moment to watch her.  She was making a great effort to quell the tears brought on by her new situation.  She was handling everything better than he’d expected, but she looked ready to collapse from exhaustion, which wasn’t surprising.  Jareth wondered when she’d last slept.

 

“You should get some sleep.  It’s been an eventful day.  These rooms are yours,” he gestured to the rest of the suite as he stood.  “I hope you’ll find them comfortable.  I’ll send someone for you in the morning.”

 

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

 

He hid a smile as she choked out his title, trying to hide her distaste at using it.

 

“When we’re alone, you can call me Jareth.”

 

“Jareth.  Thank you.”

 

He nodded once.

 

“I hope that—eventually—you can be happy here.  Good night, Reagan.”

 

With that he disappeared, leaving her alone.  She was too tired to really look around, but she noticed a wardrobe, with the door cracked open, and fabric peeking out.  She climbed out of the massive bed and made her way over to it, shocked to find it filled with her own clothes.  She pulled out her nightgown and quickly changed clothes, and looked around for a bathroom.  Luckily, it was one of the rooms that made up the suite, so she didn’t have to go far.

 

Once she’d washed up, she felt better and ready for sleep.  Marley looked up at her from the floor, as she climbed back into the massive bed.  It looked too high for him to jump, but somehow he landed on the mattress, and curled up on a pillow.  Reagan closed the bed curtains to shut out the light from the fire, and climbed under the covers, finally allowing the tears to fall freely on the pillows.

 

 

With a wave of his hand, Jareth was changed into his night shirt.  He hadn’t let Reagan see it, but he was exhausted.  He’d expended a lot of magic in the last fourteen hours; he needed to recharge.  At least he wouldn’t have to deal with Melot any longer, that should make things easier.

 

Reagan.  His newly acquired houseguest was naturally on his mind, and he could feel the Labyrinth practically purring with contentment.  Why was she so important to it?  Even more urgent, what was he going to do with her now that she was here?  He finally drifted off to sleep, with Reagan still on his mind.

 

 

Jareth looked up at the clock on the wall, glaring. He’d sent the goblin up to Reagan’s room over half an hour ago, but still the girl had not made an appearance.  Surely she knew she couldn’t hide in there forever.  Was he going to have to go after her himself?

 

Even as he fumed, the goblin he’d sent returned, alone.

“Where is she?”

 

“The Lady not answer, Sire.  Verla knocked and knocked, but Lady no answer.”

 

This was not to be borne.  Jareth had more important demands on his time than catering to this woman’s whims.  He shot up from the table and bounded up the stairs.

 

The closer he got to her rooms, the more he knew he was being unreasonable, but he’d gotten little sleep, and it left him in a foul mood.  He couldn’t direct his anger at Melot, who deserved it, so he directed it at the only other person in the castle.

 

_Calm down old boy.  Do you want to terrify the girl?_

_I told her to come down, and she ignores me.  I am still king here!_

He could feel his rage slipping away as he argued with himself, and by the time he reached her door, he had himself under control.  He knocked firmly, but did not take the door off its hinges as he would have ten seconds before.

 

“Reagan?”

 

There was no answer at all, which had Jareth slightly concerned.  He should be hearing something from her.  He knocked harder, but still received no reply.  Cautiously, he opened the door and stepped inside.

 

The sitting room was lit only by the light coming through the windows, but the bedroom door was open and he walked in.  The little dog came running up to him, whining and jumping around anxiously.  A goblin was immediately summoned to take the animal outside, and Jareth stepped further into the room.

 

“Reagan?”

 

The bed curtains were still drawn, and Jareth pulled them back, half afraid she’d run off.  She was curled into a ball around a pillow, fast asleep.  Looking closer, Jareth saw tear stains on her cheeks; she’d cried herself to sleep.  He let the curtain fall back into place, lunch would have to wait for another day.  He transported himself back to his study, and ordered the goblins to notify him when Reagan woke.  Biting down his disappointment at lunch becoming a solitary affair, he went back to work.

 

 

 

                                    _________________________

 

Reagan woke, disoriented.  She didn’t recognize anything, and for several moments wondered where she was.  The room was far too nice to be any hotel she knew of, and it looked almost medieval.  What was this place?

Climbing down from the bed, she headed to the window.  The view before her was of the Labyrinth, and the desert beyond.  That was all that was needed to trigger the memories of the previous night.  She didn’t notice the little goblin staring at her, or that it quickly disappeared.

 

 

Jareth had been at work for over three hours when Verla popped into his office.  He looked up at the interruption.

 

“What is it, Verla?”

 

“You wanted to know when the Lady woke up, Sire,”  she reminded him timidly.

 

“She’s awake now?”

 

“Yes, Sire.”

 

“Very well, you may go.”

 

Verla curtsied and left.  Jareth finished the letter he was writing, and then made his way up to the Blue Suite.  He knocked briefly before entering the sitting room, and knocked again on the bedroom door.  He received no answer, but he heard movement, so he entered, hoping he didn’t catch her coming out of the bath.  He found her standing at the window, looking out on his kingdom.  She was so deep in thought, it was no wonder she hadn’t heard him.

 

“Reagan?”

 

She turned at the sound of her name, and he saw the tears running down her cheeks.  Ignoring all sense of caution, he joined her at the window.  She turned away from him, looking instead back out at the Labyrinth.

 

“When I first woke up, I thought it was just a bad dream.”

 

So that was it.  She was regretting her choice.  He’d been surprised at how stoically she’d accepted everything last night.  He only wondered why it had taken her so long.

 

“I cannot send you back.  I’m sorry.”

 

“I wasn’t asking to go back.  Given the choice again, I’d still choose as I did.  Is it too much to ask that I be given just a few minutes to mourn the loss of the few people I held dear?”

 

“Of course not.  Take all the time you need.  But—you really don’t want to take back your agreement?”

 

He’d expected her to demand a return Above the moment he saw her tears.  That she wasn’t making such a demand was completely foreign to him.

 

“Not at all.  I stand by the promise I made last night.  I just need some time to wrap my head around this and get it together.”

 

He stood by, and silently watched the sleeping woman.  After a few minutes, she stopped crying, and looked over at him.

 

“I’m alright now.  That won’t happen again.”

 

“You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t mourn them, Reagan.  You don’t have to shut yourself off.”

 

“Yes I do.”

 

She shook her head as if to clear it, and looked back at him.

 

“Did you need something, Jareth?”

 

“To make sure you’re alright.”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

She was already closing herself off, which he didn’t understand, but he chose not to comment any more.  Instead, he looked closely at her, and noticed that she was still in her nightgown.

 

“Why don’t you get dressed, and I’ll give you a tour of your new home?”

 

“I’d appreciate that.  Thank you.”

 

He walked away from her, pausing at the door to the sitting room.

 

“This place doesn’t have to be a prison, Reagan.”

 

She waited until he left to check out the contents of the wardrobe.  Last night it received only a brief inspection, just enough to find the nightgown she sought.  Opening the doors, she discovered all the clothes that had occupied her closet at home.  Her suits, dress slacks and shirts, and dresses, all hung neatly from hangers.  Her shoes were lined in neat rows on the bottom.  Who had done all this?

 

The dresser drawers revealed all of her jeans and t-shirts, as well as her lingerie.  She wondered briefly if Jareth had seen those things, and immediately decided that she’d rather not know. 

 

Pulling out what she wanted to wear, she got a good look at herself in the mirror for the first time.  She looked terrible.  Her things in hand, she made her way to the door Jareth had used and found him in a sitting room, decorated the same as the bedroom. 

 

“Do you mind if I grab a quick shower?”

 

“Of course not.  Take your time.”

 

She hurried into the luxurious bathroom, but was disappointed to discover that there was no shower.  Instead, an enormous bathtub was set into the floor, filled with steaming water.  On any other day she might be tempted to take a swim in it, but she hurried through a quick bath, taking only long enough to wash and comb out her hair, and to make sure she was clean.  She quickly toweled off, noticing as she did that the tub emptied on it’s own.

 

“Weird.”

 

She quickly dressed, and looked at the clock.  It had taken forty-five minutes, due in the most part to her hair.  She could really only comb it out after washing and conditioning it.  Combing it out dry, as thick and wavy as it was, only made an even bigger mess.  She stopped at the wardrobe to grab her only pair of sneakers, and slipped them on as she met Jareth.  He looked up from a mound of papers in surprise.

 

“Finished already?  I expected it would take longer.” 

 

“Another day, perhaps.”

 

He set the papers down, and they immediately disappeared.  Reagan blinked as he stood and offered his arm.  She looked as if she didn’t know what he expected her to do, so he lowered it, and gestured for her to precede him out the door.

 

After about an hour of walking, Reagan ran into her first goblin.  The little creature looked up at her curiously, reaching out a little hand, as if to touch her.  It drew back fearfully, then stretched his hand out until it came into contact with her hand.  It squealed in surprise, and ran off.  Reagan looked to Jareth for an explanation.

 

“I expect he’s surprised to see that you’re real.  Most of the goblins have never seen a human adult before.”

 

They could hear the goblin yelling down the hallway, apparently talking to other goblins.

 

“I touched the Lady!  She’s real!!”

 

“Don’t they consider that the babies they watch have to come from somewhere?  What did they expect?”

 

“Reagan, the goblins don’t put that much thought into questions like those.  For all they know, human babies really do come from some bird leaving them on doorsteps.  Personally, I’ve never understood why humans tell their children that.”

 

Jareth guided her through one more floor, and they were back on the floor which contained Reagan’s suite.  They came to a stop in front of a large mahogany door Jareth had bypassed before.

 

“This is my chamber.  Should you ever need me at night, you know where to find me.”

 

He opened the door and stepped in, obviously expecting her to follow. Curious, she went inside, and found a sitting room much liker her own, except that it was decorated in shades of gold and black.  Jareth had already taken a seat at the table, which Reagan just noticed was laid out with dinner for two.    Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten in nearly two days, and she took the chair he offered, even as she wondered just what he expected of her.  Jareth noticed her hesitance. 

 

“I thought you might prefer informality your first night here.  I normally only use the dining room when I’m hosting guests.”

 

“Thank you for your consideration.  It is preferable to a large dining room.”

 

They ate in silence for several minutes, and Reagan took the opportunity to study the king.  His clothes were odd; grey breeches (leaving little to the imagination), a ruffled white shirt, and black vest, but they suited him.  His blonde hair spiked wildly in all directions, falling around his face, accentuating his narrow features.  He looked to be somewhere in his thirties, if she was to guess at his age.

 

Jareth knew she was inspecting him, but focused on his food.  He didn’t want to make the girl too uncomfortable, and he was not bothered by her curiosity.  It was only proper that she be allowed to satisfy her curiosity, as he had satisfied his.

 

“I’m curious about something.”

 

He looked up at her, and politely waited for her to continue.  She looked as if she was hesitant to ask whatever was on her mind.

 

“Why did you take me?”

 

“Pardon?”  He couldn’t have heard her correctly.

 

“We both know that no matter what threats I made, you could have just sent me back.  Why did you let me trade places with Cole?”

 

He had heard her correctly.  That was the question he’d expected, although it shouldn’t have surprised him.

“No one has ever offered to take the place of a child before.  I supposed it moved me.  Besides, neither of you should have been here.  Letting you stay in the child’s place was the least I could do, since I couldn’t send you both home.”

 

“But now you’re stuck with a permanent houseguest.”

 

“There are worse things than having a companion.”

 

“Companion?”

 

Damn.  He hadn’t meant to bring that up so soon.  The real reason he’d decided to keep her, companionship, was supposed to remain hidden.  At least until she knew him well enough to agree to it.  However, it was too late to take it back.

 

“You may have noticed that there are no other people in the castle, or the Goblin City.  I’m alone far more often that I would wish to be.  The prospect of having another person around is not unwelcome.”

 

Reagan took a moment to digest that.  True, she hadn’t seen any other people, but it hadn’t occurred to her that Jareth might be alone.  She always pictured royalty surrounded by people trying to gain favor, or use the connection to their advantage.  All she’d seen in the castle were goblins.  In that light, it did make sense that he might prefer someone he could talk to over a child running around.

 

“Is that what you want?  A companion?”

 

Jareth hoped he hadn’t spoken too soon.  No doubt she still saw him as the enemy.  But he did want a friendly relationship with this woman, of that he was sure.

 

“It is what I want.  Do you think you could agree to that?’

 

He noticed that her eyes darted from him to the bedroom door, and she looked uncertain.

 

“By the gods, woman, I’m not talking about dragging you off to my bed!”

 

Why was that always the first thing females thought of?  Even Saoirse’s friends were more concerned with getting him into the bedroom than talking to him.

 

Reagan saw that he looked insulted, and she had the good grace to look remorseful.

 

“Sorry.  I wasn’t accusing you of anything.  I’ve just—had to learn to be cautious.  I wasn’t questioning your integrity.”

 

He blinked at the apology, and the sudden distance in her eyes, and mentally cursed himself.  That hadn’t been there before he’d yelled.  And she hadn’t actually made any accusation.  He was just being touchy.

 

“No matter,”  he said gruffly.  He wouldn’t apologize for his outburst.  He was king, after all.  “So, friends?”

 

“What would have happened to Cole if I’d left him here?”

 

The way she looked at him made him pretty sure that his answer would determine hers, and he spoke carefully.

 

“He would have been given to a Fae family that wanted a child, and raised as one of their own.”

 

She continued to look at him, clearly waiting for further explanation.

 

“Fae couples have great difficulty having children.  There are many families eager to adopt a child that has been wished away.  It would have been a good life, as I said.”

 

She regarded him thoughtfully, and he tried not to let her see how much he wanted her agreement.  He was king.  He shouldn’t be so lonely.

 

“Friends then.  I can handle that.”

 

Good.  He was glad that was settled.  For a moment, he’d feared she would refuse, and he didn’t relish the idea of fighting with her for eternity.

 

“So, what happened to the little drag queen who started all of this?”

 

“Drag queen?  I’m unfamiliar with the term.  But if you’re referring to Melot, I removed him from the kingdom.  I sent him to our parents’ estate.”

 

“Your parents?  You said last night that he was a member of the royal family.  That would make him your brother?”

 

“He’s my half brother.  My mother died when I was young, and my father remarried.  Melot has a twin sister, Saoirse.  Fortunately, she’s nothing like him.  I think you’ll like her when you meet her.”

 

Reagan took a moment to adjust to the idea that Jareth had a family.  It made sense, that he would have parents; after all, she was fairly sure he couldn’t just sprout from a rock.  Still, hearing that he had a family made him seem a little less otherworldly, putting her a little more at ease.

 

“You still haven’t explained the term ‘drag queen’.”

 

She bit back a smile as she tried to find the right words.

 

“A drag queen is a man who dresses up in women’s clothing.  Most really like to wear dresses, and try to make themselves look like women.”

 

“Why would they do that?  What self respecting man would want to dress in a woman’s gown?”  Jareth asked, bewildered.

 

“The kind of man whose tastes run more towards other man, rather than towards women.”

 

Jareth stared at her, as though unable to believe what she’d just said.

 

“Is such a thing common Aboveground?”

 

“Nowadays, yes it is.  And there are women who prefer other women to men.”

 

She looked at him as though daring him to comment, and he wisely kept silent.  What she spoke of was not completely unheard of among the Fae, but it was most uncommon.  Such proclivities being publicly acknowledged could cause the person in question to lose their throne, if they sat on one, as no such relationship could produce a legitimate heir.  He found it most amusing that she applied the term to Melot.

 

They finished their dinner and continued talking until a goblin entered with Marley, and he made a beeline to Reagan.  Jareth watched them play on his floor, pleased at the way the evening had turned out.  Perhaps they could live together in peace.


	7. Chapter 7

Reagan walked the halls of the castle, taking the tenth wrong turn in as many minutes.  She’d been at the castle for nearly two weeks, and still hadn’t learned her way around.  It didn’t help that the goblins, who were so fond of pranks, seemed to take extra pleasure from getting her turned around.  It seemed to be their new favorite game.  She was certain that this corridor was one that she’d never seen before.

 

_Now where do I go?_

Going back the way she came would be no help, since she was lost when she found the corridor.  She decided to follow it and see where it took her.  Hopefully to someplace she recognized.  It continued on for several more feet, until it ended at a door.  Reagan tried it, and found it unlocked.

 

_Here goes nothin’._

 

Taking a deep breath, and hoping she wasn’t about to open some torture chamber, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.  She was greeted by a circular staircase, and she followed it up, until she thought her legs might give way.  At long last, she finally reached the top, and found herself in a tower room.  It was decorated with warm rugs, and a large, overstuffed chair.  A chaise lounge was pushed up against one window, and large cushions littered the floor.  A fire glowed in the fireplace.  It looked as though someone had been here recently.

 

“Jareth?”

 

She hadn’t seen him all day, which was unusual.  Since she’d agreed to act as a companion, he’d spent a few hours of every day with her.  Receiving no response, she moved to one of the windows and looked out.  This had to be the best view, by far, of the labyrinth.

 

It was absolutely breathtaking, but she still couldn’t look at it without feeling a surge of anger.  She would freely admit that her life here was not terrible, but she shouldn’t be here.  If that blasted Labyrinth hadn’t decided it wanted to keep her, she would have made it to the castle in plenty of time to save both Cole and herself.

 

Reagan was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of sadness, and she couldn’t determine where it was coming from.

 

_What’s going on?_

She was flooded with images, impressions, and she clung to the windowsill, trying to stay upright.  She turned only when she heard the flapping of wings, and a barn owl flew in through the window.  As she watched, the owl transformed, until she was staring at Jareth.  At the same time, she was hit with another wave of emotion, one she couldn’t decipher, and she gripped the windowsill again.  Jareth saw the tears falling freely.

 

“Reagan, what’s wrong?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“How did you get in here?”

 

“I was lost, and found the door.  Please, what’s going on?”

 

Jareth approached her cautiously, removing his gloves.

 

“May I?”

 

At her nod, he gently took her face in his hands, and mentally probed.  The Labyrinth was calling her, and she couldn’t process it.  He immediately severed the connection, sending a mental warning through the Labyrinth not to try it again. She wasn’t ready for that.

 

“Better?”

 

“What was that?  It was so sad.”

 

He conjured a handkerchief and handed it to her. She hadn’t realized she was crying.  She took it and hastily wiped her face.

 

“That was the Labyrinth.  When you’re not accustomed to it, it can be overwhelming.”

 

“I’ve never felt anything like it.  Are you saying—is it sentient?  Is that what you meant when you said you weren’t controlling it while I ran it?”

 

“Yes.  It’s sentient.  And for some reason, it’s decided that it likes you, which is why it trapped you.  Now, did you say you found the door to this room?”

 

“Yes.  I was lost again.  I swear, I’m never going to learn my way around here.  What is this place?”

 

“It’s my retreat. Where I come to get away from everything.  It’s an excellent take off point when I fly.”

 

“I’m sorry to have disturbed it.  I won’t bother you here again, hopefully.”

 

He was concerned that she’d managed to get in at all.  That door was enspelled, so that no one but Jareth could enter.  Certainly not a simple human.  And another thing; no mortal was ever able to communicate with the Labyrinth.  Never, in all his centuries as king, had such a thing occurred.  Why Reagan?

 

“It’s not matter.  You are welcome here.  Now, let me escort you downstairs. It should be nearly dinnertime, and the goblins aren’t allowed up here.”

 

“Please, no more stairs.  I can’t take them again.”

 

Jareth simply smirked and took her hand in his.  They were immediately transported to Reagan’s sitting room.  To avoid having to use the enormous formal dining room, they alternated between their suites for dinner.  Tonight was Reagan’s turn.  The first thing Reagan noticed was that her bedroom door was open.  She knew she’d closed it before she left.

 

“Excuse me a moment.”

 

She left Jareth in the sitting room, and a minute later he heard a loud shriek.  He was on his feet and in the bedroom instantly, looking for whatever it was that had scared Reagan.  She yelled again, but he saw nothing.

 

“Reagan, what is it?”

 

“Those little—I’m going to kill them!”

 

She was standing beside her dresser, and he noticed that several drawers were open, and they appeared to be empty.  If he remembered correctly, he’d sent her personal items to those drawers.

 

“Your goblins stole my underwear!”

 

Jareth stifled a laugh.  His goblins had decided that they really liked ‘The Lady’, and he knew they’d taken to watching her, and occasionally finding their way into her rooms.  This, however, was not acceptable.

 

“I’m sorry Reagan.  I’ll replace it all.  I promise.”

 

“Don’t replace it, just get it back!”

 

“Do you really want those things back after the goblins have done who knows what with them?”

 

“Good point.”

 

Still, the thought of the king selecting lingerie for her was a bit unsettling.  They were friends, but they were nowhere near close enough for **that**.

 

Noise coming from the sitting room alerted them that dinner was ready.  Reagan entered the sitting room, and noticed that the goblin setting down the tray was wearing a pair of her underwear as some sort of hat.  She really didn’t want it back now. 

 

Taking a seat, she looked out her window, and froze. Jareth saw her freeze, and looked out the window. In the courtyard below, a chicken was flying through the air, and a pair of small goblins had a familiar looking garment in their hands.

 

“Did I just see two goblins using my bra to slingshot a chicken?”

 

“I’m afraid so.”

 

“That’s what I thought.”

 

Unable to control herself any longer, she burst out laughing.  Jareth just watched her as he sat.  At least she seemed in a better mood now.  She was laughing so hard, she fell off the chair and landed on the floor, but still she laughed..  It took several minutes for her to calm down enough to get back into her seat, finally able to eat her food.  They ate in companionable silence for about five minutes before Reagan broke it.

 

 

“So.  You turn into an owl.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Any other fun parlor tricks I should know about?  What exactly are you?”

 

It had taken her two weeks to ask that question, which had surprised Jareth.  He’d expected it much sooner.

 

“I’m Fae.”

 

“Fae?  As in Faerie?   As in Oberon and Puck, that kind of Faerie?”

 

“You know of Oberon?”

 

“I teach-taught- English Literature.  I’ve read enough Shakespeare.  ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is one of my favorites.”

 

“I see.  Shakespeare did get a few things right.  Oberon was High King of the Fae, until a few centuries ago, when he retired.  The current High King is Marek.”

 

She didn’t look bored with the history lesson, so he continued.

 

“There are several other kingdoms in the Underground.  The dwarves, centaurs, elves, dragons-“

 

‘Pretty much every fairytale creature?”  Reagan interrupted with a smile.

 

“Pretty much.  My sister, Saoirse, is married to Haldrin, king of the Elves.  You’ll meet them tomorrow.”

 

“Tomorrow?  They’re coming here tomorrow?”

 

“We’re going there.  Haldrin is having a ball, more of a gathering really, and we’re attending.”

 

“We are?”

 

“I thought you might want to see more of the Underground.  The Elven lands are beautiful.”

 

“You waited until now to tell me?” she asked, disbelief evident in her voice,  “Not even twenty-four hours notice?”

 

Jareth’s eyes narrowed at the tone she took with him.  They had so far managed to get along quite well, but he was still king here, and at times would take insult at her lack of respect for the office.  No one else in the kingdom would be able to get away with speaking to him as she did.  He was also at something of a loss.  Why was she so worried?

 

“Why is it so important?”

 

Reagan was prepared to completely lay into him, until she saw that he was sincere.  He didn’t appear to understand that it was too short notice.

 

“Jareth, you’ve seen my clothes.  Do I have anything even remotely suitable for a ball given by an Elf King?”

 

“Ah.”

 

In truth, he’d given no thought to the deficiencies in Reagan’s wardrobe.  Until the underwear theft today, he hadn’t thought about her clothing at all.  It wasn’t as if she really had a dress code to keep to here in the Goblin Kingdom.  Her jeans and t-shirts were perfectly acceptable when it was just the two of them, which was pretty much all the time.  He could understand her point now.  He supposed he would be upset if the positions were reversed.

 

“I’m sorry Reagan.  I didn’t think about your needing a gown.  But if that’s all that worries you, I can easily arrange something appropriate.  You needn’t be concerned.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Very well then.”

 

It would be good to get away from the Goblin City, and see more of the Underground.  And she was interested in meeting Jareth’s sister.

 

“How will we get there?”

 

“I’m more than capable of transporting us both, Reagan.”

 

He looked affronted, and Reagan bit her lip to keep from laughing.

 

“Just make sure you’re ready to leave in the morning.”

 

“Of course.  Can I ask you something?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Should I assume that we’ll be gone at least overnight?”

 

“Yes.  If you wish, we’ll stay a few days.  Is that a problem?”

 

“I have no underwear, thanks to your goblins.  And I have a dog.  I know the goblins like to play with him, but will he be safe without a referee around?”

 

Hmm.  That could be a problem.  For the most part, the goblins were harmless, but Reagan was right to worry about what might happen to the animal with only the goblins to take care of it.

 

A possible solution came to mind.  Didymus.  That rather fanciful old fox Jareth had left in charge of defending the rebuilt bridge at the Bog.  He would relish a new assignment, especially one that involved “protecting”.  And the little dog should get along with Ambrosious.

 

“I think I have someone who would take care of the animal.”

 

“Marley.  My dog’s name is Marley.”

 

“Someone who will take care of Marley.”

 

He didn’t understand why mortals lavished such affection on their pets.  It was just a dog, for all that it was rather cute.  However, Jareth didn’t think it worth arguing over.  Especially when she was choosing to take tomorrow’s events in stride.  Any Fae woman would still be yelling about his failure to give proper notice.  Reagan, he’d noticed, tended to adapt to changes fairly well.

 

He noticed that Reagan had a pained look on her face, and she was holding tightly to the table.

 

“Reagan?”

 

He reached out and pushed her lightly, but she still looked away.  He removed his glove and touched the side of her face. The Labyrinth was connecting with her again.  He immediately broke the connection when he saw tears forming in her eyes.  She blinked, and looked over him.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Maybe you should get some rest before we leave.  Why don’t you call it an early night?”

 

“That’s probably a good idea.”

 

She stood, and he rose with her.

 

“I’m sorry for cutting tonight short.”

 

“It’s not your fault Reagan.  Just get some rest.”

 

“Good night.”

 

She left him in her sitting room, but paused before closing the door. 

 

“Jareth?  What does it want with me?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

He didn’t know, but he was determined to find out just why the Labyrinth was ignoring him.  He returned to his own chambers, still mulling over this unexpected turn of events.  If the Labyrinth insisted on connecting with Reagan when she wasn’t ready, she could end up getting seriously hurt.  By rights, she should be hurt already, considering how strong the connection was.  No mortal would be able to come out of such a hold completely unharmed.  He directed one last order at the Labyrinth.

 

_“Leave her alone.  She can’t handle it now.”_

 

Reagan tossed restlessly, twisting in her sheets.  The dream had started almost as soon as she closed her eyes, and she couldn’t wake up.  Something was after her, and the only place she would be safe was inside the Labyrinth.  She had to go to it.

 

Her eyes never opened as she pushed away the sheets and climbed out of the bed.  Marley barked after her, but she never woke up.  The little dog jumped off the bed and ran after her as she padded from the room, and into the corridors.

 

 

Jareth woke to the sound of the dog barking madly outside.  He climbed out of his bed and stood at the window, wondering why the little mutt was outside.  His mouth dropped open in surprise when he saw Reagan, barefoot and in her nightgown, walking into the Labyrinth.  He quickly slipped a shirt, breeches, and boots on before transporting himself outside.  Somehow, he doubted she’d appreciate him showing up nude before her.

 

He followed in the direction Reagan had taken, and soon caught up with them. Marley whined piteously up at him, and he grabbed Reagan by the shoulder.

 

“Reagan, what are you doing out here?”

 

She broke free of his grip and continued walking.  This time he placed himself directly in her path, and she walked right into him.  It was then he noticed that her eyes were closed.  She was sleepwalking! That she hadn’t fallen down a staircase and broken her neck was nothing short of a miracle.  The Labyrinth itself must be guiding her. 

 

Unfazed at their run-in, Reagan stepped around him and continued walking.  Every time he placed himself in front of her, she went around him and kept walking.  She even ignored Marley, who jumped at her and whined.  Jareth finally picked the dog up and followed her, realizing there was nothing he could do that would stop her.  Better to just make sure she didn’t hurt herself.

 

 

 

His concern grew when they entered areas that he knew Reagan had never seen.  This was a corridor in the Labyrinth that was almost never used.  Jareth himself hadn’t been down this corridor in years.  She took another turn and descended a stone staircase, without missing a step.  In the small courtyard stood a giant tree, and Jareth watched as it seemed to explode on its own.  He placed himself between Reagan and the flying debris, until all was quiet again.  As soon as he moved out of the way, Reagan walked up to the remains of the tree and reached inside.  She came out holding what appeared to be a large white stone, and Jareth’s jaw dropped in shock.

 

“Jareth?  What’s going on?  Why are we outside?”

 

She was awake, and looked scared and confused.  Wasting no time, Jareth lightly wrapped an arm around her waist, and transported them all back to the castle. They  reappeared in his bedroom, and he guided Reagan and the dog to the bed.

 

“I want you to stay here tonight, Reagan.  I don’t know that the Labyrinth’s done with you, and I don’t want you to be alone.”

 

“Alright’, she agreed, her voice shaky, “What happened?”

 

Jareth took a good look at her.  She didn’t appear hurt, but she was definitely scared, and in no condition to be left alone.

 

“You were sleepwalking.”

 

“Sleepwalking?  But I never do that.”

 

“I think the Labyrinth was directing you to find this.”

 

He held out the stone, and Reagan eyed it warily.

 

“What is it?”

 

“A dragon egg.”

 

She looked up at him in disbelief.

 

“A dragon egg. Are you serious, because I don’t think I can take any sort of prank right now?”

 

“Quite serious.”

 

“And this worries you.”

 

It was a statement, not a question.  Reagan could tell that Jareth was truly worried about this, though she couldn’t begin to guess why.

 

“What can you tell me about your family?”

 

She looked surprised at the abrupt subject change, but Jareth was waiting for an answer.  What did her family have to do with any of this?

 

‘There’s not much to tell. My father was a university professor, he taught history and mythology.  My mother was a book editor, who stopped working to stay and home and raise my brother and I.”

 

That really wasn’t much help, and Jareth tried to think of a question that might lead them in the right direction.  The answer came when he remembered how Reagan had sent Melot into the wall.

 

“Did either of your parents have any of your gifts?”

 

Something in her closed off, and she became unreadable.  He’d hit a nerve.

 

“No.”

 

The tone of her voice told Jareth that she wasn’t willing to discuss it, and he wisely refrained from saying anything further.  Enough had happened tonight.

 

“Get some sleep Reagan.  Tomorrow will be a big day.”

 

He gently lifter her to her feet, and with a wave of his hand, the bedding pulled back, and he gently pushed her back down.  She immediately rolled onto her side and curled up in a ball, the dog circling around and laying down beside her.  The blankets tucked up around her shoulders on their own, and she was asleep almost instantly.  The slight ‘push’ he’d given her should ensure she’d sleep the rest of the night, leaving him free to contemplate the object he held in his hand

 

A dragon egg.  And a white one at that.  What was it doing in a tree in the middle of the Labyrinth?  It had to be one of the stolen eggs, there was no other explanation.  The dragons had been seeking the stolen eggs for centuries, but there were at least half a dozen that were never recovered.  And to think, one had been here the entire time.  The white dragons were the rarest of all the dragon species, they would certainly want this one back.  White dragons were said to be healers, though Jareth didn’t have any personal experience with them.  This would have to be handled very carefully.

 

Not wanting to think any longer on the implications of this find,  he waved a hand, changing into a pair of loose fitting black pants, and climbed into the bed.  Marley looked over at him then laid his head back on his mistress’ feet.  The bed was plenty big enough that Jareth was nowhere near Reagan, but he could feel every move she made.  If she left the bed, he would know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

To say that Reagan was surprised by the little fox riding into the throne room on the back of a sheepdog was an understatement.  That he dismounted the dog and bowed low before Jareth was even more astonishing.

 

“Your Majesty.  How may I be of service to thee?”

 

“Ah, Didymus, you made it.  I have a task for you.”

 

“Anything, sire!”

 

With that, he brandished his sword, looking around the throne room for any threat.

 

“Didymus.’

 

The little fox turned his attention back to Jareth, who was fighting to hold back a smile at his antics.

 

‘This is Reagan, a guest in my house,”  Jareth informed Didymus, who turned to Reagan with great interest.

 

“It would be an honor to serve thee, my lady.  What dost thou require?”

 

Marley leaned as far out of her arms as he could, sniffing the little fox, then yapped at him.

 

‘The lady and I will be gone from the castle for a few days, Didymus, and I’m afraid the dog, Marley, needs protection from a few of the more eager goblins.  Might you look after him until we return?”

 

Didymus tentatively reached a hand out to Marley, who was trying to wiggle out of Reagan’s arms.  He touched the dog, who yapped madly.  Reagan set Marley on the floor, and he instantly ran over to Ambrosius, whose tail was wagging furiously.

 

“It would be an honor to serve my king’s lady in any capacity.  I will guard yon animal with my life.”

 

Reagan bit back a smile, as she could see the little fox was quite serious.

 

“Thank you, Sir Didymus.  Your service is very much appreciated.”

 

“My lady.”

 

He bowed low again, and ran after the two dogs, who were chasing each other out of the throne room.

 

“I think your dog will be fine.  Shall we go?”

 

At her nod, Jareth rose with deceptive ease from his throne.

 

“You’ll have to hold onto me.  It is a longer trip than you’re used to.”

 

With that warning in her head, Reagan wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes tightly.  The pulling sensation that accompanied transportation lasted much longer than Reagan had ever experienced before.  When she finally felt that the world had stopped moving, she opened her eyes. 

 

They were standing in what appeared to be a large library.  Two of the walls had been carved out so that they resembled cubby holes, and they were filled with scrolls.  Another was lined with shelves which contained leather bound books.  Reagan looked around the room in awe.  It was massive.  Her entire suite at the goblin castle could fit in this single room.

 

It took several moments for Reagan to realize that they had been joined by another person. 

 

“Jareth, why did you not come directly to the Hall?  We’ve been expecting you.”

 

The beautiful red-haired woman stopped speaking when she saw that Jareth was not alone.  She eyed them curiously, then looked to her brother for answers.

 

“It was too crowded in the Hall, Saoirse.  I thought somewhere with fewer people might be easier on my guest.  It is her first visit outside the Goblin Kingdom.”

 

Reagan looked at Jareth’s sister, in her flowing gown, and immediately felt self-conscious.  How must she look to the woman in her jeans? 

 

Saoirse was eyeing her with even more interest.  She was human, and Jareth had never brought a human to any gathering.  She looked around for their brother, but he was nowhere to be found.

 

“Where’s Melot?”

 

She didn’t miss Jareth’s human tense up at their brother’s name.  Something was going on, and Jareth hadn’t told her.

 

“He’s with Father and Sylvan.  He doesn’t stay with me any longer.”

“I think you should start at the beginning.  What happened with Melot?”

 

“Saoirse, allow me to introduce Reagan, the castle’s newest resident.  Reagan, this is my sister, Saoirse, Queen of the Elves.”

 

He looked pointedly at his sister, reminding her that she was being rude.  Reagan looked between the two nervously.

 

“Your Majesty,” she greeted Saoirse uncertainly.  Saoirse turned back to the girl, who looked visibly upset.

 

“Please, it’s Saoirse when we’re not in company.  It is a pleasure, Reagan.”

 

“Why the delay?”  A man with imposing features and long brown hair asked as he joined them, standing beside Saoirse.  This must be her husband, and Reagan’s nerves went into overtime as she realized that she was standing before the King of the Elves.  He eyed her with frank interest before looking to Jareth.

 

“Jareth, we were looking for you in the Hall.  And who might your guest be?”

 

“Haldrin, this is Reagan.  She is currently staying at the castle with me.”

 

Haldrin raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.  The look he directed at Jareth indicated they would be speaking later.

 

 “No Melot with you?”

 

“No.  Melot no longer resides in my home.  He may come with Father, if you invited them.”

 

Haldrin sighed. “And I was hoping for a night’s peace.”

 

Jareth smiled.  It was rare that Haldrin allowed any hint of emotion to color his words.  Melot’s ability to exasperate everyone he met extended even to the Elves.  His brother had a rare talent for causing trouble wherever he went.

 

“Haldrin, we’re being most inconsiderate of Jareth’s young lady.  May I call you Reagan?”

 

“Please.”

 

“Excellent.  I think a tour of the grounds might be in order.  We have a few hours before the festivities begin.”

 

“Please do so my love.  I must speak with Jareth on a matter of some urgency.”

 

Saoirse looped her arm through Reagan’s and all but dragged her out of the room.  Reagan cast a pleading look at Jareth, but he just smiled and motioned for her to go on.

 

“Traitor!” she hissed at him, eliciting a laugh from Haldrin.  Once they were gone, Haldrin turned to his brother in law.

 

“Is it true then?”

 

In answer, Jareth produced the dragon egg, and handed it to Haldrin.  The Elf king took it, handling it carefully.

 

“In all my millennia, I’ve never seen a white egg.  And you found it in the Labyrinth?”

 

“I didn’t find it, Haldrin.  Reagan did.”

 

“Your human?”

 

“Yes.  She found it, while sleepwalking.  She demolished the tree in which it was buried.  I believe she may be a Caller.”

 

Haldrin looked up at him.

 

“A human Caller?  Impossible.”

 

“I’m not certain she’s fully human.  She has certain—abilities—that no simple human could have.  I think she may be at least part Fae.  I need to find out for sure.”

 

Haldrin returned his gaze to the egg.  This was an important find.  The dragons still held all Fae responsible for the missing eggs.  Their treaties with the other races had all fallen through, and it was only after centuries of diplomatic efforts that some of them had been repaired.  This discover of a white egg could go far in rebuilding friendly relations.  And to have not only an egg, but a Caller, someone who could find the other eggs, and communicate directly with both of the dragon races was a rare thing.  If Reagan was what Jareth hoped, she could change the entire Underground.

 

“Are you staying past tonight?”

 

“I thought we might stay a few days.  If you could see that Reagan has a room near mine.”

 

Haldrin looked at him in surprise.

 

“She’s not staying with you?”

 

“She’s my guest, Haldrin, not my pet.  She doesn’t share my bed.”

 

Haldrin was surprised that his brother-in-law was showing such restraint with a beautiful woman living under his roof, but said nothing.

 

“I will find out what I can.  How did she come to be here?”

 

“Melot tricked her into wishing a child away, and then trapped her until her time out.  She offered to stay in the child’s place.”

 

“I see.  If Melot does come with your parents, could he make a claim to her?”

 

“He has no grounds to do so, but I want her near me in the event he does try anything.”

 

“It will be done.  This egg must be protected.”

 

“Another reason I want her nearby.  I think it’s already communicating with her.”

 

Haldrin nodded his understanding.

 

 

 

After an extensive tour of the grounds and buildings, Reagan was at last taken to a beautiful bedroom in a spacious suite.  Saoirse stood back and allowed her to look around as she wished.

 

“This will be yours for your stay with us. Jareth has the other room in the suite, through the shared bathroom or the main room.”

 

“Thank you, Saoirse.”

 

An Elf maid entered, her arms laden with material, which Saoirse directed her to lay on a lounge seat.  Reagan looked over at them curiously.

 

“I understand you were in need of certain personal articles, and something for the event this night.”

 

Reagan went to the lounge and found under garments of the finest material she’d ever see.  The chemise was a light blue that was almost sheer, with a matching pair of modern hipsters.  Underneath these items laid a gown of sky blue that was almost as transparent as the chemise, with sleeves that fell to the floor.

 

“It’s beautiful, Saoirse.  Thank you.”

 

“I’m pleased you approve of them.  I will send someone to help you dress when it’s time. Until then, feel free to do whatever you like.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Saoirse left her, and Reagan toured her room.  The bed stood against a wall, which was covered in sheer wall hangings, the floral design of which matched the bed coverings.  The curtains that covered the open walls were the same, making the room feel light and airy, while still giving privacy. 

 

She stepped through the curtains and onto the small balcony, which looked down into the courtyard below.  A familiar blonde was walking with Saoirse’s husband, both deep in conversation.  Neither looked up at her as they passed below.

 

Reagan liked Saoirse.  Jareth’s sister was a fountain of information on the Underground.  The tour of the grounds had evolved into the history of the Elves, and Reagan had been an eager student.  To see for herself the truth, the reality, behind what her world believed to be legend, was amazing.  She was glad they were staying for a few days.  She wanted to explore.

 

The knock on her door was the only indication that any time had passed. Reagan opened it to see an Elf maid on the other side, and was surprised that it was already time to start dressing for the party.

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

Jareth paced the length of his bedroom, impatient to be gone. What could possibly be taking so long?  He’d been pleased to learn that Saoirse had solved the sleeping arrangements by giving him an apartment with two bedrooms, and installing Reagan in one of them.

 

He’d heard Reagan and a maid in the bathroom over two hours ago.  When they’d finally vacated, he’d hurriedly taken his own bath and dressed, and now he was waiting.  How long did it take to put on a dress? 

 

He heard knock on his door, and the maid poked her head in.

 

“Your lady is ready, Your Majesty.”

 

She curtsied, and Jareth nodded his acknowledgement. Making certain his clothes were spotless, he walked to Reagan’s door and knocked.  He heard soft footsteps, and Reagan stepped out, looking up at him uncertainly.

 

“Do I look alright?”

 

_I might have to rethink the dress code back home._

 

She looked amazing in the gown Saoirse had given her.  He’d asked his sister for something appropriate, but Reagan was absolutely stunning.  Like most of the Elven formal gowns, it was flowing and almost sheer, hinting at the curves underneath.  If Reagan wasn’t wearing a chemise underneath, it would have bordered on indecent.  The blue of the gown made her eyes look very blue, rather than the usual hazel, and the gold threads that embroidered the gown made it shimmer.  It was a gown fit for Fae royalty.  He wondered what Saoirse was playing at.

 

“Do I look that bad?” she asked nervously when Jareth continued to simply stare at her.

 

“You look stunning, Reagan.”

 

Her hair was left tumbling down her back in the waves and curls he was used to, but it was swept away from her face, and she wore a headdress that trailed jewels down her back.

 

He offered his arm, which she took self-consciously, and he escorted her through the courtyard to the Great Hall.  Two elves nodded respectfully, and opened the doors, allowing them entry.  Reagan dimly heard The King of The Goblins announced, and suddenly all eyes were on them.

 

As they moved through the crowd, Reagan noticed some of the women looking at her curiously, while others looked at her with obvious hatred.  She wondered what she could have done to make them loathe her, these women she’d never met, until she saw the way they looked at Jareth.  She recognized jealousy instantly.  Apparently more than one of them entertained romantic thoughts towards her housemate.

 

“You should have warned me you were only bringing me to protect your virtue,” she said softly, so that only he could hear her.  He laughed out loud at that, drawing even more heated stares.

 

“I was afraid you would refuse to come if you knew my real purpose,” he answered, still smiling, which drew a laugh from her.  Jareth’s smile disappeared as they drew closer to Saoirse and Haldrin, and he could see who was with them.  Reagan didn’t recognize the couple standing with Jareth’s sister, but she knew the young looking man, and she slowed. Only Jareth’s grip on her arm kept her from turning around and leaving.

 

“Father, Sylvan, may I present Reagan.  A guest in my home.”

 

The beautiful Fae woman looked at Reagan with frank interest, then smiled when she saw the girl’s nervousness.

 

“It is lovely to meet you at last, Reagan.”

 

‘Thank you.  It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Milady.”

 

“So, this is the woman who’s caused so much trouble between my sons.”

 

Reagan straightened her shoulders and looked directly at Jareth’s father, who was looking at her with poorly disguised contempt.  Jareth shot his father an angry glare, and even Saoirse looked shocked.

 

“It would be more accurate to say that your sons have caused so much trouble for me, not the other way around.  When last I looked, I was trapped in their world, not they in mine.”

 

Renault burst out laughing.  This human was feisty. He could see why Melot had decided to keep her, and why Jareth hadn’t brought her around.  Her anger at his younger son still ran deep.  Melot had his work cut out for him if he hoped to win her forgiveness.

 

“Well said my dear.  Don’t let my son charm you into forgetting that until he’s made satisfactory reparation.”

 

Attention turned toward them as music began to play, and Reagan guessed they had to wait for the king and queen to open the dance.  As she thought this, Haldrin escorted Saoirse to the floor and they began an intricate dance.  Renault gave his arm to his wife, and Jareth walked Reagan to the floor, leaving Melot to stare after them.

 

“I don’t know how to do this,” Reagan hissed at Jareth as they took their places. 

 

“Just relax, and follow my lead.  You might even enjoy it.”

 

“That’s not the first time I’ve heard that line, and I didn’t believe the other guy either.”

 

Jareth laughed as he took her hands and lead her into the dance.  Reagan managed to make it through four dances without embarrassing herself before they were interrupted by an Elven couple.

 

“You cannot expect to keep this young lady to yourself the entire evening Jareth.  And I believe there are several ladies eager for a dance as well.”

 

“Larek, Lady Reagan.  Reagan, this is Larek, Haldrin’s brother, and his wife, Varin.”

 

“My lady,” Larek passed his wife off to Jareth and bowed to Reagan.  She curtsied shallowly, but allowed him to lead her into the dance.

 

“Tell me, my lady, how are you enjoying the gathering?”

 

“Well enough, my lord, though I’m afraid Jareth has been covering for my inability to dance.”

 

“Nonsense, Lady Reagan.  You’re doing very well.”

 

“You might change your mind in about five minutes.”

 

She was pleased to make it through the dance without stepping on Larek’s toes.  As the dance ended, he took her hand, and his eyes widened briefly in surprise.  He said nothing, but simply escorted her off the floor.

 

“Thank you for the dance, my dear.  I must see my brother.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Larek left her alone, and she watched him make his way over to Haldrin, who was sitting on a delicate looking throne.  Her solitude did not last long, almost instantly she was joined by Melot.

 

“You look lovely, Reagan.  The Underground suits you.”

 

“What do you want?”

 

“Father is right.  I really must make some sort of reparation for my actions.  What can I do to make it up to you?”  He flashed her a smile she was sure was meant to be charming.

 

“You can die slowly, cut into a million pieces.”

 

His smile faltered.

 

“What?”

 

She turned to face him.

 

“There is nothing you can do to make up for the fact that you destroyed my life as I knew it because you were bored, or wanted a new plaything, or whatever your twisted reason. Thanks to you, I am trapped in this world, and will never see my family again.  So. There. Is. No. Suitable reparation for what you’ve taken from me.  The only thing you CAN do to make my life the slightest bit easier is make certain that I never have to see your face again.  If you don’t, I promise that the next time I want to kill you, I will succeed.”

 

Melot opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out.  Reagan wondered if this was the first time he couldn’t charm a woman into forgiving him.

 

“Melot, I think you’ve bothered the lady enough.”

 

Renault’s voice seemed to come from nowhere, as he joined them.  Melot nodded briefly to his father, and stalked off angrily.

 

“Thank you.  He doesn’t seem to be able to take a hint.”

 

“He has acted foolishly.  What he did was very wrong, there’s no denying it.  But you have to forgive him eventually, my dear.  Eternity is a long time to hold a grudge.”

 

“It’s only another sixty or seventy years.  Surely he can stay out of my way for that long?”

 

“Sixty years?  What do you mean?”

 

“Just that the human life span is only about ninety years, and I’m almost thirty.  I’ll only have another sixty years, seventy if I’m really lucky.  For Fae, that’s the blink of an eye.  Surely he can stay away?”

 

Renault looked closely at her, choosing his words carefully.

 

“Surely Jareth told you that you were to become immortal?  That staying Underground for so long would change you?”

 

Reagan looked out at the floor where Jareth was dancing with a woman a good three feet shorter than him.  His warning that she would have to stay here forever suddenly took on new meaning, and she thought she might be sick.

 

“Excuse me, my lord.”

 

She lifted her skirts and all but ran out of the hall, her slippered feet eating up the distance.  Jareth noticed her sudden departure, and excused himself from his partner.

 

“Father, what did you say to her?”

 

“Jareth, how could you not tell her she was here for eternity?”

 

Jareth went pale.  His mind worked overtime. Surely in their conversations he’d mentioned that. She had to have known.

 

“You should talk to her.”

 

He left the hall, following the direction she’d taken. He saw her, still running.

 

“Reagan!”

 

She didn’t answer.  If anything, she ran faster.  Jareth sighed and started after her.  When, after several minutes, she still showed no sign of stopping, he simply transported himself ahead of her, and she ran directly into him.  He caught her and steadied her.  When she was balanced, he released her, and she slapped him full across the face.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“I did tell you, Reagan.  I told you that you were agreeing to stay her forever. You just didn’t think it really meant forever.”

 

She slapped him again.

 

“I’m human, Jareth.  Why would I think forever meant anything other than the rest of my natural life, unless you told me?”

 

“You made an assumption Reagan.  Don’t get angry with me because it proved to be incorrect.  I’d have thought you’d learned from running the Labyrinth that nothing is what it seems.”

 

“That’s a bullshit excuse.  You knew how I would interpret ‘forever’, and you knew differently.  You’re no better than your brother!”

Jareth stepped back as though she’d struck him a third time.  He knew he’d lied to her, but did she really think that put him on the same level with Melot?”

 

“Reagan-“

 

He stopped when he could see that she was trembling furiously.  He was surprised that she hadn’t already sent him flying into a tree, as she had with his brother.  She was beyond livid, but she hadn’t tried to kill him yet.  The shaking was no doubt her effort to keep herself under control.  He would not push her further by trying to defend the indefensible. He should have made it clear what she was agreeing to.

 

“You should get back to the party.  Saoirse will wonder where you are.  I’ll be back at the room later.”

 

“I can’t leave you here alone Reagan.”

 

“I really need to be away from you right now Jareth.  Please go before I change my mind about killing you.”

 

He knew dangerous ground when he saw it, and chose to let her alone.  He could see that her control was tenuous at best.

 

“If you need me, just call.”

 

He disappeared, leaving her standing in the woods.  He transported himself back to the party, where Larek and Haldrin were waiting for him.”

 

“Well?”

 

“We need to talk privately.”

 

Jareth followed them to Haldrin’s private library. Haldrin pulled a bottle from his desk, and poured three glasses. Jareth looked surprised.  If Haldrin was offering human Scotch, it was serious.  Larek accepted his and drained it in one sitting.

 

“She has Oberon’s blood.”

 

Jareth almost spit out the Scotch he’d just sipped.

 

“Are you certain?”

 

“Of course I am.”

 

“How is that possible?”

 

“You really should spend more time at Court, Jareth.  Thirty five mortal years ago, a human woman somehow slipped through one of the gates between worlds.  Oberon took her as his pet.”

 

“And Titania didn’t try to kill her?”

 

“Titania was occupied with a lover of her own at the time.  The human stayed for five years before she somehow found another gate and disappeared.  I would guess that she was pregnant when she left.”

 

Jareth took a moment to absorb that news.  Oberon’s daughter.  If that was true, Oberon could take her to live with him, and Jareth wouldn’t be able to stop her if she wanted to go.  It would explain why she was so powerful, for a half blood.  She thought she was a freak, but it was really untrained magic.

 

“Oberon will have to be notified,” Haldrin was saying, breaking Jareth from his thoughts.

 

“Of course.  I’ll wait until after you speak with Oberon to say anything to Reagan.  This will be quite a shock to her.  She thinks she’s fully human.”

 

“As you think best.”

 

Larek was looking at him strangely, but said nothing. Until they spoke with Oberon, there really was no use in saying anything to Reagan.  If Oberon chose to ignore her, there was nothing for any of them to do.

 

 

More than an hour later, Jareth was in his apartment, readying for bed, listening for Reagan.  He left the bathroom doors open, so that he could hear her come in.  He hoped she was alright, but doubted she would call him, even if she needed help.  He rather pitied anyone who tried to harm her, in the state he’d left her in.  She knew how to take care of herself.

 

He was relieved when he heard her outer door open and she entered.  She must have seen the open doors and suspected he was waiting, for she stepped into his doorway.  He waited for her to speak first.

 

“You should have told me.”

 

“Would your choice really have been different had you fully understood?”

 

“That’s not the point.  The point is that you knew exactly what I was agreeing to, and you didn’t tell me. You should have told me.”

 

“I should have.  The night you came, I didn’t think of it.  And later—those first days, you were so unhappy.  You tried to hide it, but I could see it.  You were unhappy, and I couldn’t bear to add to it.  Eventually, I just put it from my mind.”

 

“You deliberately withheld the truth from me.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Don’t let it happen again.”

 

“I give you my word.”

 

“Good night, Jareth.”

 

“Good night, Reagan.”v


	10. Chapter 10

Reagan woke the next morning to the feel of a slight extra weight on her chest.  She opened her eyes to see a little white head with bright blue eyes staring up at her, and screamed.  The creature emitted a scream of its own and rolled backwards off her, falling onto the bed.  She watched it burrow under the blankets as she tried to collect herself.

 

_What what what what what what what what what—_

Where was that coming from?  She knew she wasn’t saying anything, but it was playing over and over in her head, and it sounded scared.  Could it possibly be the thing that was laying on her?  Reagan lifted up the blankets and looked at the tiny creature, curled up in a ball.

 

“Hey there.”

 

It was looking at her, shaking.  The poor thing looked terrified.

 

“I’m sorry I scared you.  You can come out now, I’m not going to hurt you.”

 

It looked up at her inquisitively, and she held out her hand.  It stretched out it’s neck and sniffed, then shoved its head under her hand to be petted.

 

“It’s okay, you can come out.”

 

It very hesitantly uncurled itself and crawled out from under the blankets.  Reagan got her first good look at it as it crawled up into her lap, then climbed up her arm onto her shoulder.  Its body was covered in tiny scales, except for its wings-it had wings!?- which were feathered.

 

“You’re pretty cute for a lizard.”

 

It snorted in offense at being called a lizard, and Reagan laughed.  She scratched it under its chin, and she could hear it purring in contentment.

 

“Cheeky.”

 

“Reagan!  What’s wrong?”  Jareth burst through her door, and it hissed at him.

 

“What’s wrong?  I heard you scream.”

 

“I’m fine.  I just had a most interesting wake-up call.”

She turned so that he could see the creature on her shoulder, and almost laughed at his expression.

 

“It hatched.  Unbelievable.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“That, Reagan, is your first dragon.”

 

“No way.”

 

_“Of course I’m a dragon.  What did you think I was, a flying chicken?  Fae.”_

The last word was spat out as if it was a dirty word, and Reagan laughed.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I think I just offended it.”

 

“Is it talking to you?”

 

“Of course it is. Don’t you hear it?”

 

_“Fae king can’t hear me.  Not a Caller.”_

Reagan had no idea what it was talking about.  A Caller?  And why had it called her a Fae.  She was no Fae, she was human.  A freak, but human.  She reached out and scratched the small dragon on its head.  It purred at her, and it’s mouth fell open in a toothy grin.

 

“You are too cute.”

 

Jareth looked slightly annoyed, which Reagan thought unfair.  If anyone should be annoyed, it was her.  She’d had a wake-up call from a dragon, not Jareth.

 

“Yes, well.  I really think you should get dressed, my dear.  I’m certain a servant will be here any moment, and once someone else sees your new friend, there will be no more peace.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Dragons are very rare, Reagan.  No one has even seen a hatchling in centuries.  Six hundred years ago, someone stole several dragon eggs, which ended all peace with them.  It’s taken centuries to even minimally repair relations with them.  This new hatchling will be tremendous news.”

 

“Are you saying that the egg I found was one of the stolen eggs?”

 

Jareth nodded, and Reagan looked down at the dragon on her shoulder.

 

“How long have you been in there?”

 

_“A thousand years.”_

“Is that possible?”

 

“Is what possible?”

 

“It says it was in that egg for a thousand years.”

 

“It is possible.  Dragon’s choose when they hatch.  I believe that a normal gestation is four hundred years.  However, because it was stolen, it may have chosen to wait until it was found to hatch.”

 

The dragon looked at her and nodded, as if to emphasize the point.

 

_“This one’s not as dumb as he looks.”_

Reagan choked back a laugh at that.  Jareth would appreciate the backhanded compliment/ thinly veiled insult.

 

“Alright, I’ll get dressed.”

 

He continued to stand there, staring at the dragon on her shoulder.

 

“Jareth?”

 

He snapped and looked at her.

 

“What?”

 

“I’m not getting dressed with you standing there.”

 

“Oh.  Right.  I’ll be in my room then.  If you need any help—“

 

“Jareth, it likes me.  And it’s the size of a cat.  I doubt it’s going to eat me or anything.”

 

“Right.  Just knock on the door when you’re ready.”

 

As soon as Jareth left, Reagan set the dragon on the bed and looked through the wardrobe.  She was surprised to see that there were several dresses in there along with her jeans and t-shirts.  Either someone thought her wardrobe was deficient, or they thought she might feel less out of place if she dressed like the natives.  She chose to believe it was the latter.

 

She pulled out a dress that was a lovely shade of pale green.  It was nowhere near as transparent as the one she wore last night, and the material looked as if it was far more comfortable than her jeans.  She slipped out of the nightdress, into the gown, and discovered a complication she had overlooked:  it laced up the back.  She tried for a few moments to lace it herself, unsuccessfully, and stopped when she heard snorts of laughter in her head.  She turned around and mock-glared at the little dragon, who was smiling its toothy grin.

 

“If you’re not going to help, at least keep your mouth shut.”

 

It just laughed harder at her.  Unfortunately, an elf mad chose that moment to knock and walk in.

 

“Oh good.  Can you help me with this, I can’t get the laces.”

 

When the maid didn’t move Reagan turned to see her staring at the dragon, who was eyeing her with obvious disinterest.  Without saying a word, the maid turned and ran out.

 

“At least she didn’t scream.”

 

She spoke too soon; she heard a scream down the hallway.  Rolling her eyes, Reagan made her way to the shared bathroom to wash her face and take care of her hair.  As she completed her morning routine, she noticed the little dragon following her.  It never once took its inquisitive blue eyes off her.

 

When she was finally finished, instead of going back to her room she knocked on Jareth’s door.  He opened it, looking surprised when he saw what she was wearing.

 

“Could you lace me up? The maid ran screaming.”

 

“I thought I heard another scream.”

 

He gestured for her to turn around and expertly pulled the laces until the gown fit perfectly.  It molded to her body as if tailored for her.  Jareth did his best to ignore the way it clung to her, accentuating her curves.

 

“I imagine half the palace will hear of it within the next ten minutes.  We’d better find Saoirse and Haldrin.”

 

When it looked as though they might transport out of the room, the baby dragon ran at them, voicing its objection at being left behind.  Reagan quickly scooped it up and it perched in her arms.  Jareth took hold of Reagan’s shoulders and transported them into an even more opulent sitting room.

 

“Haldrin!”

 

A few moments later, both Haldrin and Saoirse walked in, Saoirse looking most put out with her brother.  Reagan thought they may have interrupted an amorous encounter for the couple.

 

“What is the meaning of this, Jareth?”

 

“It—“  he was interrupted by his sister when she saw Reagan.

 

“It hatched.  By the powers”

 

“Unbelievable.  A dragon, here.”

 

Haldrin looked as stunned as his wife.  They were both staring at creature in her arms.

 

“Yes, well, I’m afraid Reagan’s maid saw the little thing, and ran off screaming.  It will no doubt be  all over the palace in record time.”

 

Haldrin reached out to touch the tiny creature, and it bit at him.  He  quickly pulled his hand back, as Reagan lightly swatted it’s snout.  It whined and gave her an unmistakable miniature glare.

 

_“What’d I do?”_

“Don’t be mean.”

 

_“Dragon, remember?”_

“No reason to be a brat.”

 

Jareth watched the two glaring at each other and bit back a laugh.  As he watched, the dragon lost the contest, and gave up, going instead for cuteness as it nuzzled into Reagan’s chest.

 

“I don’t believe this.  You’re worse than Marley.”

 

“I would say this changes things.”

 

Both Jareth and Reagan looked over at Haldrin when he spoke.

 

“Oberon will have to come immediately.  Hopefully this can be handled without bringing Marek into it.”

 

“The sooner the better, Jareth.  I would recommend that you keep her with you at all times.  Galen is here, and once he finds out, he’ll want to take her.”

 

“He’s not getting his hands on her.”

 

“Jareth, it may not be wise to start an incident with the Dragons now.  The truce is shaky at best.”

 

“You know what they would do with her.  A female Caller, without a mate. They would pass her off to someone to use as a breeder.”

 

“Try to see it from their perspective, Jareth.  Their numbers are dwindling, they’re trying to preserve their race. You cannot blame them for that.”

 

“The girl is under my protection, Haldrin.  I will not send her off to become a brood mare to a man like Galen.”

 

“Would someone mind explaining what this is about?  What’s going on?”

 

Both men ignored Reagan as they debate with each other.  When her repeated requests for an explanation were ignored, she put her fingers in her mouth and gave a loud whistle, startling both of them into silence.

 

“Finally.  Now, will one of you kindly stop ignoring the fact that I’m right here in the room, and explain what this is all about?  I don’t understand a single thing you’re saying, but it apparently has something to do with me and Draco, so I’d appreciate being let in on it.”

 

_“Draco?  I like it.”_

“Good.  It’s the name of a constellation in my world.”

 

Both men glared at her, but she just watched them, waiting for an answer.  When neither of them spoke, she raised an eyebrow, her mastery of the gesture putting Jareth to shame.

 

“Jareth?”

 

“Have you eaten yet?”  Saoirse interrupted them, and Reagan looked over at her.

“Pardon?”

 

“I’d wager you’ve not eaten since last night.  Let’s have some breakfast. This is not a discussion to have on an empty stomach.”

 

“Jareth, explain.”

 

“Saoirse’s right.  We should eat—“

 

“Jareth!”

 

Jareth sighed.  There was no easy way to break the news, but he could see that she wouldn’t be put off.

 

“Galen is head of the Dragons, and as soon as he learns of this, he will want to take you and the hatchling to his kingdom.  He’s rather unscrupulous when it comes to getting what he wants, so I don’t plan on letting you out of my sight.  A female Caller from such a strong line would be very valuable in their attempts to breed.  And Oberon will have to joins us at once because as his daughter, you fall under his protection as well as mine.”

 

Reagan absorbed Jareth’s explanation in silence and then did something he never thought to see.  She fainted.

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

Reagan could hear voices around her as her mind finally cleared and the blackness receded.  What was going on?

 

“I think she’s coming around.”

 

She opened her eyes to see Saoirse sitting in a chair nearby.  Jareth and Haldrin were standing in a corner of the room, still debating in hushed tones. Draco walked up from her stomach to her chest to stick his head in her face, and she realized she was lying down.

 

“What happened?”

 

“You fainted, my dear,” Saoirse answered her.

 

“I’ve never fainted in my life.”

 

Holding onto Draco, Reagan slowly pushed herself to a sitting position, and instantly wished she hadn’t when the room started spinning.  Saoirse immediately grabbed her shoulder to steady her, then handed her a glass.

 

“Drink this.  It will help.”

 

Reagan put the glass to her lips, but stopped when she smelled it.

 

“What is it?”

 

“An Elven remedy.”

 

“Peach?”

 

“It is mixed in peach juice, yes.”

 

“I’m allergic to peaches.  I almost died from eating a peach when I was nine.”

 

She handed the glass back to Saoirse, who looked at her, confused.

 

“But, Jareth uses peaches constantly back home.  How can you have avoided them?”

 

“I never ate them when they were offered.  It wasn’t difficult to smell them when they were used in dishes.”

Jareth and Haldrin had finished their discussion just in time to hear the end of the conversation between the two women.  Jareth was surprised to hear Reagan’s admission; he’d never noticed that she’d managed to avoid a food he constantly used.

 

“You don’t have to avoid peaches any longer, Reagan.  They are no danger to you.”

 

Reagan looked at him with even more confusion.  How could he say that when she’d just told them she almost died from one?

 

“You’ve been changing, physically, since you came here.  You have no more allergies, or any other physical ailments a mortal would have.”

 

“Because I’m becoming immortal.  Right.  Is there anything else you’ve neglected to tell me, Jareth?”

 

Jareth winced.  She was still angry over the previous night, it seemed.  Saoirse looked to her brother expectantly, but he was in no mood to explain anything.

 

“No, there’s nothing else, Reagan.  I swear.”

 

“Well, if everyone will excuse me, I feel the need for some air.”

 

“That’s not a good idea, Reagan.  You can’t go anywhere alone.  Do you not remember what we were just discussing?”

 

“Then come with me, if you must, but I can’t sit in this room hiding from some threat.”

 

“Reagan—“

 

The glare on her face was matched by a tiny glare on Draco’s.  Jareth could see he was fighting a losing battle trying to get her to stay inside and hide out.  Truthfully, he would have been surprised if she’d meekly agreed, though he did wish in this instance that she would listen.

 

He shared a look with Haldrin, as if to share their exasperation with the female population, before Jareth sighed and reluctantly agreed to take her out.

 

“Very well.  But you do as I say.  If I say it’s time to leave, I want no argument from you.  We have to be more careful of your safety now. Is that understood?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“I will send word to Oberon immediately, and we’ll notify you when he arrives.”

 

“Thank you, Haldrin.”

 

They all turned at the knock on the door, and Larek stepped inside.

 

“So it is true,” he said, never taking his eyes off Draco, “a dragon, here in the Elven court.”

 

“Larek, why are you here?”

 

“Galen is not far behind me.  I thought it fair to warn you.”

 

“I think this is an excellent time for that walk you desired, Reagan.”

 

Jareth gently took hold of her arm and transported them both to the gardens.  The grounds were extensive enough that Galen should have trouble finding them, which was precisely what Jareth wanted.  He wouldn’t put it past Galen to simply try to take her and run, counting on the fact that no one would follow him into Dragon territory.

 

“This is a beautiful place.  I didn’t notice it last night.”

 

Jareth imagined that there was much she didn’t notice in her fury the night before.  They walked for a few minutes, Jareth pointing out certain flowers and plants that knew did not exist Above, until they reached a marble gazebo. Reagan immediately took a seat on a bench, glad to be out of the sun.

 

“Now, could you do me a favor and explain to me in English what you said before? Because I fail to understand how I could possibly breed with a reptile.”

 

“Not with a dragon, but a Dragon, capital D,” Jareth said as if that explained everything.

 

“And there’s a difference?  As far as answers go, that made absolutely no sense at all.”

 

“Yes, there’s a difference.  A dragon, like the one on your shoulder, cannot change his shape.  A Dragon, such as Galen, is a shape shifter.  One who can shift from a human form to the animal you have here.  They are—you might almost call them separate races, but part of the same species.”

 

“So this Galen looks like a man, but can change into Draco over here?”

 

“Something like that, yes.”

 

“And because I found this brat, he thinks I would be able to have his children?  What kind of logic is that?”

 

Jareth sighed.  This wasn’t something he completely understood himself.  How to explain it to Reagan?

“The Dragons have had—difficulty—reproducing.  The last female Dragon born was Galen’s sister, over three hundred years ago.”

 

“So, why don’t they marry Fae?  Did they never think that maybe they just need new blood in their gene pool?”

 

“They have tried to reproduce with Fae, but even that has not provided a solution.  The only success has come when the Fae is a Caller, one able to find and communicate with dragons, are you are.”

 

“But I’m not Fae.”

 

Back to this again.  Was she willfully misunderstanding him?

 

“Of course you are, Reagan.  Only half, but still Fae.  A daughter of Oberon, to be precise.”

 

“No.  It’s not true.  I’m human, Jareth.  I may be immortal now, and I’ve always been a freak, but I’m still only human.”

 

“No mere human could have called that egg, Reagan.  I understand that it may be difficult for you to accept, but that does not alter the truth. You are Fae. And it is the Fae part of you that makes you so powerful.  You’re not a freak, your power is uncontrolled.”

 

“That can’t be.  I’m from Charleston, South Carolina, not the Underground! I can’t be part Fae!”

 

Jareth started to speak, then stopped.  He didn’t know why she was so agitated by this revelation, so he didn’t know how to calm her.  When one of the small statues which decorated the gazebo shattered, he knew he had to so something.  He just didn’t know what.  He hated feeling helpless.  The unbidden thought that she was beautiful when she was riled up didn’t help him any.

 

“Reagan, destroying this place won’t solve anything.”

 

“What?”

 

She looked at him, confused, just before another statue shattered.  She jumped at the sound, holding a hand over her heart.

 

“This isn’t helping.”

 

“Are you saying I did that?”

 

Jareth came to the realization that she wasn’t aware of what she was doing.  The lack of control must terrify the woman who kept such a tight reign on her thoughts and feelings.  He slipped a hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

 

“Reagan, look at me.”

 

She looked up at him, and he saw the utter helplessness in her expression.  She didn’t know how deal with this.

 

“Look me in the eye, and concentrate on calming down.”

 

Once she did as he asked, he focused his power on calming hers.  After a few minutes, when he could tell that there wouldn’t be anymore outbursts, he released her hand.  He was surprised by the amount of power he felt radiating off the girl.  He’d never seen a Halfling with so much magic.  It was no wonder she was so destructive; he was honestly impressed that she hadn’t done worse.  She already had a great degree of control, it just needed to be perfected.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

“I can’t be what you think I am, Jareth.”

 

Jareth chose not to start another argument.  He had bigger issues to address, such as keeping Reagan safe.  She was a guest in his home, she was under his protection.  He would let Oberon deal with her refusal of his blood.

 

“What flower is that?  I’ve never seen it before.”

 

Surprised by the sudden change in subject, he looked in the direction Reagan pointed.  She was pointing at a bright yellow flower that somewhat resembled an Aboveground lily, but was much larger in size.  The center of the flower was at least six inches in diameter, and the shades of yellow varied along the petals.  The stem was covered in thorns, save for a single space that provided a place to hold it.

 

“You wouldn’t have seen it. This particular flower is native to the Underground, and it’s fairly rare.  It only flourishes here in the Elven lands.  Saoirse planted these, if I’m not mistaken.”

 

“It’s beautiful.”

 

“Close your eyes.”

 

She obediently did as he asked, and she felt him place something smooth and round in the palm of her hand.  He closed her fingers over the object, and told her to open her hand.  Reagan opened her eyes as he spoke and gasped.  She was holding a perfect replica of the flower, minus the thorns.  Draco tried to climb down the front of her dress to get a closer look, and lost his balance, sliding down her chest and falling into her lap in a heap.  He snorted indignantly when both Jareth and Reagan broke out into laughter.  After a moment, Jareth stilled, and Reagan looked at him in concern.  He was no longer paying attention to them, he was somewhere else entirely.

 

“Jareth?  Jareth, what is it?”

 

“Oberon.  He’s here.”

 

“Here?  As in, here in the palace?”

 

Jareth nodded.

 

“He wants to see you.”

 

He could feel the panic rising in Reagan again at that declaration.  Draco was also growing agitated, feeding off of her emotions.

 

“Reagan—“

 

“We have to go.  I don’t want—I can’t see him!  Can we just go home?”

 

“Reagan, calm yourself.  He will not harm you.”

 

She shot up from the bench, almost knocking Draco to the ground.  The baby dragon held onto the skirts of her dress with his tiny claws, and Reagan had the abstract thought that he looked for all the world like a lost kitten holding onto the first person to find it.  Reagan picked him up and started walking.  Jareth kept pace easily, ready in case she should try to start running again.  When she nearly walked into a tree, he realized that she wasn’t even seeing what was in front of her, and stopped her.

 

“Reagan?”

 

Jareth was no mind reader.  He was an extremely powerful Fae, as ruler of the most powerful Underground kingdom, but mind reading was beyond even his ability.  He couldn’t begin to guess what was going on in Reagan’s head, and her silence and near catatonia was beginning to frighten him.

 

“Reagan.  You have to tell me what’s wrong.”

 

That snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked at him as if he was a simpleton.

 

“What’s wrong?  Are you serious?  First, I find out that I’m never going to die.  Then, I find out that some freaky reptile Dragon guy wants to kidnap me because he thinks I would be able to have his children, just because I found some stupid egg!  And, to top it all off, you tell me that the man I called ‘daddy’ for over twenty years isn’t really my father, and now I have to meet the man who what, screwed my mother, raped my mother?  What is right about any of that?”

 

Jareth blinked as she ranted.  He hadn’t really thought about just how much the girl was having to absorb and deal with in a period of less than a day.  He supposed she did have some reason to be upset.

 

“You have had rather a hard time of it lately, haven’t you?”

 

“You think?” she laughed shakily at his understatement.  He could feel the fine tremor throughout her body under his touch.  She was still not completely calm.  She was doing much better than she had only a few minutes ago, though, so Jareth hoped that the worst was over.  He gently took her arm and walked her back to the palace, wanting her to have time to compose herself before facing Oberon. 

 

The walk was just the thing Reagan needed to get herself back under control, and she was grateful that Jareth hadn’t simply transported them back. 

 

_Better?  Stupid Fae not hurting you?  Fae can be killed if necessary._

The little dragons thoughts in her head were somehow comforting, and she smiled at Draco, who was alternating between looking at her with all the concern a baby dragon was capable of expressing, and looking at Jareth as if he wanted to rip him to pieces.  She bit back a giggle at the thought of the tiny creature trying to hurt the man walking beside her.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Draco just offered to kill you for me if I needed him to.  It’s nothing.”

“Really?”

 

He looked as amused at the thought as Reagan was, but filed away the dragon’s fierce protectiveness of the girl for future reference.  Draco might not be much of a threat now, but it wouldn’t be long at all before he was fully grown, and more than capable of razing the entire Goblin Kingdom to the ground.  Even he would not want to anger a fully grown dragon. 

 

“I have no intention of harming Reagan,”  he addressed the small creature.  Draco held his gaze for a solid minute before giving a tiny nod.

 

_See that you don’t, stupid Fae._

 

“He thinks you unintelligent, but seems to believe you.”

 

“How reassuring.”

 

All too soon they were back at the palace, and Jareth guided her through the less traveled hallways to Saoirse and Haldrin’s chamber.  He knew that they would all be there, including Oberon.  They wouldn’t want to draw any more attention to themselves at this moment.  Not until they had the situation settled.

 

Jareth stiffened when he opened the door to see Galen standing in the room as well, and he kept an arm protectively wrapped around Reagan’s waist, ready to transport them away if it became necessary.  Reagan’s attention, however, was focused on the other strange man in the room.  He looked older than all the rest of them, and Reagan knew who it was instantly.  Oberon.  So far, none of them had noticed that the very person they were discussing had returned to the room, and Jareth squeezed her, indicating that she should remain silent.

 

“I want the Caller, Haldrin.  You cannot deny me!”  Galen was all but yelling at Haldrin, who managed to remain calm, not looking in the least disturbed by the others posturing. 

 

“I cannot force the girl, Galen.  You know that, as well as I do.  At any rate, just because the lady found that egg, that doesn’t guarantee she could bear anyone’s child—“

 

“You know how rare it is to find an unattached Caller, Haldrin!  My people are dying!  This girl could bring much needed blood into our lines!  What she wants is insignificant to the chance to save my people! I will not ignore this because she is the pet of your brother in law!”

 

“She’s no ones pet, Galen!”  Saoirse interrupted, furious at the other king.  Haldrin placed a hand on his wife’s arm to keep her from physically lashing out at him.  His was the unenviable task of trying to settle everything diplomatically.  It would be much easier of the Dragon would see reason. 

 

“Is she really my daughter, Haldrin?”  Oberon interrupted the argument with his question, sounding almost as if he feared the answer. 

 

“Yes, she is, Oberon.  Larek danced with her, he found your blood running through her.  And she is quite powerful, for a Halfling.  She could only come from a very potent line.”

 

The other man absorbed this in silence, looking as though he’d just received a blow. He sat in an empty chair at the table, suddenly weary.  It was when he looked back up at Galen’s continued argument that he finally noticed Jareth standing in the shadows, his arm around a young woman.  Oberon froze when he saw her.  She was almost the image of Rebecca.  Hers was a face he thought he would never see again.   

 

“By the gods, you really are her daughter.”

 

Reagan stiffened when Oberon spoke to her, and Haldrin invited them to join the discussion.  Jareth had to guide her into the center of the room, and once there, she kept her gaze determinedly fixed on the marble floor, not looking at any of therm.  She felt, more than saw, Jareth step protectively in front of her when Galen tried to approach.

 

“You have no right to the girl, Jareth,”  Galen addressed the Goblin King through clenched teeth.  He had a female Caller, one who could bear children and help his species continue, not ten feet from him, and Jareth was blocking his way.  He could smell the magic in the girl’s blood; it was powerful, just as Haldrin had said.  She would make an excellent queen, if he could just get her out of the Elven Kingdom.  It didn’t hurt that she was also quite lovely.  Taking her to his bed would be no hardship.

 

“Reagan is under my protection, Galen.  She is a member of my House.  I will not allow you to carry her off against her wishes.”  Jareth ever so slightly bared his teeth at the man, allowing his sharp canines to show. Galen might be a talented shape shifter, but he was nowhere near as powerful as Jareth. 

 

“This isn’t getting us anywhere,”  Saoirse interrupted again.  She put an arm around Reagan and pulled her away from the two men, who looked as if they would begin brawling at any moment. 

 

“Do you really want war, Jareth?  After you worked so hard for peace?  The girl is a Caller, and she holds one of the missing dragons in her hand.  By all rights, she belongs to my kingdom.”

 

Reagan finally had a good look at the man who was trying to cause so much trouble for her.  For some reason, he reminded her of Melot.  He had the same raven hair, and the look of a man who thought too highly of himself.  He was taller than Melot, he was actually much larger than anyone else in the room, making the chamber feel rather crowded.  Reagan thought that it must be due to the fact that he was a Dragon, as Jareth had called him, and shifted between such disparate forms.  The expression in his eyes as he looked at her was chilling.  Reagan decided at that moment that something about the man frightened her.  She didn’t like him.   She could hear Draco echo the sentiment in her mind.

 

Galen’s attention was drawn to the tiny dragon that was now hissing at him, and he looked even more shocked.

 

“A white dragon.  Amazing.  Right there is your proof that she’s meant to come with me.  She found a white dragon, the rarest of all of them.  You have to see that now.”

 

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

 

“The decision isn’t yours, Lady.  It was made when you found that egg.”

 

“I beg to differ.”

 

“Galen, you will cease your threats against my daughter at once.”

 

“Or what, Oberon?”

 

The former high king leveled a steely gaze on the larger man.  It was the look of someone well used to wielding power, and not at all afraid to use it.  Galen visibly shrank, though not by much, and took a step back.

 

“Or you will find out what happens when I get truly angry.”

 

“You’re no longer High King, Oberon.  You have no power to command me.”

 

“I have a father’s right to command his daughter. You will cease your threats against her.  She’s under my protection now as well.”

 

“You know what’s at stake, Oberon.  I would hate to have to bring Marek into this.”

 

Jareth bit back a curse.  Galen’s threat was not empty, and they knew it.  Oberon still held a lot of power as the former High King, but it was Marek who was now on the throne.  And Marek was much more sympathetic to the Dragons, more willing to cede to their demands, than Oberon ever had been.  If Galen did bring Marek into the mix, he could very well decide in Galen’s favor.  Reagan would be taken.

 

“What part of ‘I’m not going anywhere with you’ did you not understand?”

 

“Reagan.”

 

 Saoirse put a hand on Reagan’s arm, urging her to stay silent.  Reagan shook her off.  She could not stay still when this strange man was trying to take over her life, and drag her off.  She felt the anger, and power, welling up, and tried to tamp it back down.  There were so many people in the chamber, she didn’t want anyone harmed.  But it was proving difficult when Galen continued to make threats, and try again and again to get past Jareth.  She knew, somehow, that if he was able to lay a hand on her, she would be lost.  If he touched her, he would be able to take her away, no matter what she said.  And she knew that if she entered this man’s kingdom, she would not leave it again. 

 

“Reagan?”  The rather timid address came from Oberon, who looked as if he wished to approach her himself.  Reagan spared him no more thought as she let her power build. Her issues with him would simply have to wait until she’d settled the more pressing issue of this Dragon creature who wanted to carry her off, like some antagonist in a bad romance novel. 

 

She stepped away from Saoirse, around Jareth, until she was relatively certain she wouldn’t hit them with anything, but still away from Galen’s grasp.  When he smiled at her, she dropped her restraint, and he was hit with a white hot blast that sent him into the wall behind him.  Reagan immediately grabbed onto Jareth, who transported both of them out of the Elven palace, and back into his own castle.  Once they were in the familiar throne room, he released his grip on her.

 

“You’re safe for now, Reagan.  The Labyrinth will keep him out.”

 

“You’re certain?”

 

“Yes.  The Labyrinth is the most powerful thing in the Underground.  And it likes you.  He will not be able to waltz in and take you off.  You are protected here.”

 

“Thank you, Jareth.”

 

Now that the immediate danger was over, Reagan felt she might go into shock.  She began to shiver, which graduated to all out shaking as the realization of how close a call she’d just had set in.  Jareth pulled her into a loose embrace when he saw that she was close to losing all control.

 

“It’s alright, Reagan. Galen can’t harm you here.  You’re safe.”

 

He combed his fingers through her hair in a soothing gesture, and spoke soft nonsense into her ear until he felt the shaking begin to subside.  The young woman in his arms had been through so much today, far too much for one such as she to handle. 

 

“It’s alright.  No one can harm you here.”

 

“I’m turning into quite the little ninny, aren’t I?”  she asked as she reluctantly pulled away.

 

“No, you’re not.  To stand up to Galen at all took great courage, Reagan. I’m proud of you.  And I think Oberon is, as well.”

 

“Well, that just makes my life complete, knowing that Oberon is proud of me.”

 

Jareth hid the smile that was threatening to break out.  If Reagan was back to her usual sarcasm, he had no doubt that she would be fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

Reagan looked up at the sound of barking, her face wreathed in smiles when the doors opened and Marley ran into the throne room.  He ran straight up to her seat and jumped into her lap.  Draco, who’d been sitting on Reagan’s shoulder, hissed at this strange animal, which he’d never seen before.  Reagan gave Draco a pointed look.

“He was here before you were, Lizard, so don’t think I won’t swat you.”

He looked affronted, but backed away as Marley jumped up and licked every inch of her face that he could reach.  Reagan scratched behind his ears, and he yapped excitedly.  Jareth watched the exchange, still not completely understanding the strange bond humans had with their pets.  Since it appeared to distract Reagan, he wouldn’t say anything against it.

Their unexpected return the day before had thrown Jareth off.  He’d planned on spending at least a few more days with Saoirse and Haldrin, not preparing for possible attempts on the kingdom by Galen.  He’d been honest with Reagan, the Labyrinth would keep her well protected, but he was under no illusions that Galen would leave the situation as it stood.  He would make every effort to acquire Reagan.

The goblins had also been thrown by their return.  Not that their behavior was so very different, Jareth  noted wryly to himself, they were simply more drunk than usual.  They’d managed to find the goblin ale that he’d done his best to hide, and those that had gotten drunk were still hung over. They would be useless for at least another day.  The last thing he needed was a castle full of drunken goblins.

“Did you miss me, Marley? “

“I’m certain he did, my lady.”  Didymus answered for the dog that could not, and gallantly bent over her hand to kiss it.  Jareth bit back a smile at the old fox.  The old sheepdog that served as Didymus’ mount trailed in behind them.  The dog looked at him, tongue hanging out, then rolled over onto it’s back and stretched its leg.

“Thank you for looking after him, Sir Didymus.  I appreciate your service.”

Reagan smiled, and Jareth smothered a chuckle as the little fox blushed. 

“It was an honor, my lady, to guard thy pet.”

Reagan kissed the little fox on the nose, and Jareth wondered if it was possible for him to blush any more.  He stumbled back, and whistled for Ambrosius, taking his leave with bows and flowery speech directed at the fair lady.    Jareth managed to hold back his laughter until after Didymus and Ambrosius left the throne room. 

“What’s so funny?”

“The old fox. Falling over himself at your feet.”

“I thought he was sweet.”

“Of course you did.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Jareth shook his head.  He didn’t want to get into any kind of argument with Reagan, especially not over Didymus.  And most definitely when there really wasn’t anything to argue.  Jareth honestly had no idea why Reagan approving of the little fox annoyed him so.   Ordinarily he would be happy that she approved so wholeheartedly of one of his subjects.  It was a first for him, to have an outsider approve of the goblins.  Apart from his family, the rest of the Fae looked on the goblins as lower creatures, who served only to make trouble.  Jareth put his irritation down to the stress of the last days.  There really was no other explanation for it.

“So you’re worried, too.” 

It was a statement Reagan made, not a question.  She saw through his irritation, and correctly put it down to recent events.  The weeks she’d spent at the castle had given her some insight into Jareth’s mind.  He would try to hide it, but she knew that he was just as concerned by this new development as she was.  She watched him open his mouth to deny it, then close it again. 

“How bad can it get?”

She’d avoided all mention of Galen and his threats yesterday, but today she was ready to face the situation they now found themselves in.  She believed Jareth when he said she was safe inside the Goblin Kingdom, and the Labyrinth, but she didn’t think that Galen was the type to give up so easily.  She didn’t want to worry for her new home, but she wasn’t one to shrink away from reality.   She needed to know what she was dealing with.

“Bad.”

“But Galen can’t get to me, right?  That’s what you said.  As long as I’m here, I’m safe.”

“He can’t get to you in here.”

“So, what will he try?”

Jareth looked at her carefully, as if trying to decide whether she was ready to hear the truth.  Yesterday, she’d ignored any mention of Galen, and the dragons.  He wanted to make sure she wouldn’t go into shock, or faint again.  He must have been satisfied with what he saw, because he answered her.

“He’ll try to lure you out, away from the Labyrinth.  Or, he might petition Marek to intervene.”

“And what can Marek do?”

Jareth nearly choked at that question.  Did she really think that Marek was an empty threat? Was she not taking this seriously?

“He’s the High King, Reagan.  He’s not to be taken lightly.”

“I’m asking in all seriousness, Jareth.  I don’t know this place, or these Fae.  I need to know how big a threat Marek is, so I can be prepared. What can he do?”

He relaxed when he saw that he’d misunderstood her.  She was taking everything seriously.  Of course she was.  It was foolish to think she would do anything other than react seriously.

“If Galen gets Marek on his side, Marek can order that you be handed over to his custody.  At which point, he would make Galen your guardian, and you would be removed to the Dragons.”

“And when I refuse to go along with that?”

“As High King, I can’t disobey him, Reagan.  If he orders you to be handed over, I would have to comply.  While Galen couldn’t get to you inside my kingdom, Marek could.  If I refused him, he would come in and take you by force.  Going to war with the High King is tantamount to suicide.”

“What can we do against that?”

Jareth didn’t answer her.  He didn’t have an answer to give.  This war with the Dragons, started over the theft of the eggs, had begun during the first months of Marek’s reign.  Eager to prove himself to a Fae court that expected him to fail, he’d done everything in his power to pacify Galen and the Dragons over the centuries.  If Galen got to Marek, Marek would certainly order Reagan’s removal, and there would be nothing Jareth could do about it. 

“Jareth.”

He turned at Saoirse’s appearance in his throne room.   He knew she wouldn’t have come unless there had been some major development.

“Saoirse.  What’s happened?”

“Galen has left the Elves. He’s going to Marek. It’s only a matter of time before Marek comes to you.”

“Damn.”

It was just what he’d feared happening.  It was the worst possible news.  There was nowhere he could send Reagan that Marek could not follow.

“Oberon wishes to see you, and Reagan.”

“This is hardly the time for family reunions, Saoirse.”

“I think he might have a possible solution to the problem at hand.  It would be wise to listen to him.”

Jareth looked to Reagan, who nodded.

“Very well.  I’ll see to it that he’s allowed entry.  Keep me informed if anything new develops, will you?”

“Of course.  Be careful, brother.”

After a quick embrace, Saoirse was gone.  Within moments of her disappearance, Oberon was standing in the same place she’d just vacated.  Reagan looked ready to bolt at the sudden arrival, and Jareth kept a hand on her arm to steady her.

“He means you no harm, Reagan,” he spoke softly in her ear.  She nodded, and he released his hold on her.

“Jareth.  Reagan.”

The older Fae approached them cautiously, one eye kept on the young woman who was his daughter.  He should have considered the possibility that Rebecca was carrying his child when she disappeared, then he wouldn’t have been so shocked at the girls existence.  She was the very image of the other woman, with the exception of her eyes.  Those had come from Oberon.  They glittered with far too much power and intelligence for a mere human.

“Oberon.  Saoirse tells us that you might have a possible solution to this problem with Galen’s attempt to claim your daughter.”

He looked at the young woman in question, who was eyeing him with complete disdain.  He briefly wondered just what she’d been told about him to make her hate him so, but shook the thought from his mind. There were far more important things to worry about at this moment. 

“I believe it might be best if we speak alone, Jareth. We have much to discuss before we can determine if there is any solution to Galen’s threats.”

Jareth  looked at Oberon questioningly, wondering just what the man could wish to discuss away from Reagan.  Reagan made certain she had Marley securely in her arms before she stood, lifting the edge of her skirts. 

“I’ll be in the library.”

She walked out without acknowledging Oberon in any way, leaving him to stare after her.  Jareth waited until she was gone before he stood from his throne and met Oberon in the pit.

“Why don’t we take this to my chambers?  There will be more privacy.”

“Very well.  The less to hear this the better, for now.”

 

“Would you care for a drink?”

 Jareth offered his guest a glass of wine, then took a seat.  He was curious as to what Oberon might suggest.  He’d spent nearly every free moment considering all possible answers to Galen’s threats, but he hadn’t been able to arrive at a single solution.  Nothing short of losing an all out war would convince Galen to back off, and before it reached that point, he’d go to Marek, almost certain of a favorable ruling.

Oberon took a seat opposite the younger king, arranging his robes comfortably before he spoke.  When he’d first proposed this alternative to Haldrin, it had seemed the best solution.  Now, he wasn’t so convinced Reagan would be any better off.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep her safe on his own lands, so this really was the only solution.  First, though, he had to determine whether Jareth would agree.

“I have to know something,  Jareth.  Just what is your relationship with my daughter?”

Jareth started at the question.  It was not what he expected to hear.

“She is a guest in my home, Oberon.  She willingly placed herself under my rule, which puts her under my protection.”

“That’s not what I meant, Jareth.”

“She is a friend.  A companion.  A housemate, if you will. Why the concern?”

“Would you make her Queen?”

“What?”

“You heard me.  Would you make my daughter your wife?”

“Where is this coming from, Oberon?”

“As former High King, I know exactly how Marek will move. So do you, I’m sure. Galen’s entire claim rests on Reagan being unattached.  If she was Bonded, Galen’s claim would be moot.  Not even the High King can force a bound pair apart.”

Jareth started.  He hadn’t even considered that angle, but Oberon was right.  The root of the problem lay at the fact that Reagan had no claim to anyone.  Marriage would be a solution.  It was, in fact, the very solution that Galen sought for himself.  As Oberon said, not even the High King could separate a bound pair.  If Galen succeeded in binding Reagan to him, they lost.

Could he marry Reagan, though?  It was not too surprising to Jareth to discover that the idea appealed to him.  He couldn’t name a woman who would fill the role of his wife better.  They got on well, and she was now completely at home in his kingdom.  And he couldn’t deny that he’d been having completely inappropriate thoughts, and a few dreams, of the woman since the night of the ball.  His attraction to her was unexpected, but he wouldn’t deny it.

“I would make her Queen.”

“Good. Then we have a solution.  I’ll inform Haldrin, and we can have this settled this very afternoon. If you wish your family to be here, send for them at once.”

Oberon stood as if the matter was settled, and Jareth stood with him, too shocked to do otherwise. It took a few moments of Oberon walking without knowing his way before Jareth found his voice.

“It may not be so simple, Oberon.”

“How so, Jareth?  You would make her Queen, where is the issue?”

“The issue is that she may not agree.  I would have her; that does not mean that she would have me.”

“I give her to you then.  It’s my right as her father.  She is yours, to do with as you wish.”

“Do you really think she will simply agree to that, Oberon?  That you, a man she’s never known and will not recognize as her father, have the authority to give her away?  Reagan is not fully Fae.  She was raised Aboveground.  I promise you that she will not meekly accept your declarations.”

“What do you mean, she will not recognize me as her father?  She cannot deny that fact.”

Jareth almost smiled at the incredulous look on Oberon’s face.  Apparently the former High King had honestly expected to come in and order the woman around, fully exercising his rights as a father.  It must not have occurred to him that she might have very different ideas. 

“The women Above are very different than they were when you last visited, Oberon.  Much has changed in the centuries that have passed.  And Reagan absolutely refuses to believe that her father is anyone other than the man who filled that role during her lifetime.  She believes that she is completely human, if somewhat abnormal.  You will not change that simply by barging in and ordering her to accept you.”

Oberon stopped walking completely and looked at Jareth, his dismay showing on his face.  He didn’t want to believe the younger Fae, but he could not deny that after weeks of living with Reagan, Jareth knew his daughter in a way that he did not.  He silently cursed the fate that took Rebecca away from him.  If Reagan had been raised Underground, as she should have been, this would not be an issue.  Instead, because Rebecca had run from him, and managed to escape Aboveground, Reagan would pay the price.  She didn’t understand their ways, and she would have no time to learn them.

“She must agree to this, Jareth.  It is the only way to keep her from Galen.  I would not see any member of my family forced to live in the Dragon lands.”

Jareth couldn’t help but agree. He’d been to the Dragon country before, his role as ruler of the most powerful kingdom in the Underground requiring his help with restoring peace between Dragon and Fae. The Dragon’s lands were barren, rocky mountain regions.  They lived in caves, high up on the cliff faces.  Galen’s entire stronghold was deep within the mountains.  The Fae women who managed to find themselves there were not seen again.  Jareth would not want Reagan to end up a prisoner there.  Even if she did become Galen’s queen, she would be little more than a political hostage, there solely to produce children.

 

They found Reagan in the library, lounging on the window seat, her nose in a book.  Draco noticed their entrance before Reagan did, and he hissed at Oberon.  Jareth guessed that the dragon was again feeding off Reagan’s emotions, and where Oberon was concerned, Reagan’s emotions were high, and angry.  Oberon looked at the tiny creature on his daughter’s shoulder, who dared to warn him off.  It was not often that any creature dared to act so.  Draco’s hissing brought Reagan’s attention from the book to the two men who’d joined her.

“Well?  Are you finished with your men’s only discussion?”

“We are.  There’s something you need to know, Reagan.  Oberon has found a solution that would make it impossible for either Galen or Marek to force you away.”

The tone of Jareth’s voice was enough to tell Reagan that whatever this solution was, she probably wouldn’t like it.  Still, she didn’t think anything would be worse than being hauled off to some caveman’s home to be forced to bear his children.  She could handle anything else.

“Well, let’s hear it.  What is this solution?”

Jareth took a seat on the bench with her, while Oberon, perhaps wisely, chose a chair a few feet away.  Close enough to hear and take part in the discussion easily, but not within immediate striking distance should things not go as he wished.  Reagan marked her place in the book and looked at Jareth expectantly.  Jareth looked away from her, trying to gather his thoughts.  Her cooperation would depend much on his explanation, he knew, and now that he was faced with her, he was unsure of how to explain in a way that wouldn’t drive her away before he could make her understand. 

“Well?”

“I’ve consulted with your father,” Jareth was careful to stress the familial connection, despite the glare that now marred Reagan’s face, “and he is of the same opinion as to how Galen will proceed, and how Marek is likely to act once Galen reaches him.  As long as you’re unattached, Marek can assume custody of you, and give you to Galen.  The only solution that either of us can see to this is to make certain that you are not unattached when they come for you.”

“Wait a second”, Reagan interrupted him, confusion evident on her face.  “What do you mean, unattached?  I’m not really understanding you here.”

“He means that you have no mate, Daughter.  If you were Bonded to another Fae when Marek arrives, there is nothing he can do.  He cannot separate a bound pair. It is what Galen is attempting to secure for himself.  The answer is to accomplish this first.”

Reagan barely spared a glance for Oberon before turning her attention back to Jareth, who was watching her reaction carefully.

“Bonded?  As in, what, married?”

He nodded, and Reagan suddenly found herself wondering if his wine from lunch had been spiked with something, for him to even think that this was an answer.

“Are you seriously telling me that the only way to keep this Marek from handing me over to Galen is to be married to someone else before he arrives?”

He nodded again, and Reagan felt the room begin to spin into unreality.  The entire situation was preposterous.  They couldn’t honestly expect her to go along with this plan, and just marry someone.  As if she even knew anyone she would want to marry.  The only men she knew were Jareth, Melot (who she was still planning to dismember if he ever came to close to her), and Saoirse’s husband.  Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Just who am I supposed to marry? And if you dare even think your brother’s name I swear I will put you through the walls of this castle.”

“Not Melot.  I didn’t even consider him a possibility.”

“Then who?  It’s not as if I know many men here, let alone unmarried men who would agree to this.”

Jareth cleared his throat uncomfortably, and again broke eye contact, looking everywhere but at Reagan.  The sinking feeling returned as she came to the conclusion that there was only one other logical choice, and he was sitting right beside her.

“Please tell me you’re not thinking—.”  The distaste in her voice was enough to tell Jareth they shouldn’t expect her to cooperate willingly.  He didn’t bother to analyze why that thought hurt.

“If you have another idea, I’ll listen.”

Oberon rose from his chair and stood directly in front of Reagan.  She looked briefly at him, before looking out the window, racking her brain for another alternative. 

“There is no other way, Daughter.  There is nowhere in the Underground you could go where Galen could not find you. You are only safe from Galen here, in the Goblin Kingdom.  And even the Labyrinth cannot stop Marek.  You must marry if you wish to be free here.”

“I’ll go back home.  If I go back Aboveground, Galen can’t get to me.  You said that he couldn’t leave the Underground, right? So send me back to Charleston.”

“You are NOT going back Above!”

“I don’t remember asking your opinion!” Reagan rounded on Oberon, whose face had begun to contort in outrage.  Daughter or not, no one spoke to him in that manner. 

“Going Above would not protect you, Reagan. The High King can travel Above as easily as I can.  Marek would simply take you from there and give you to Galen.  We would never even know it happened.” 

Reagan shook her head, not wanting to believe it.  Marry Jareth?  Sure, she was fine living with him, but marriage?  Who made these stupid rules?  Why should a king she’d never met have such power over her future, so that the only way she would be even remotely free was to tie herself to someone else?  It was one thing to tie herself to the Goblin Kingdom, the Labyrinth, but to tie herself to Jareth? 

Suddenly needing room to breathe, Reagan shot to her feet, barely catching Draco before he fell from her shoulder.  She brushed past Jareth, but was stopped by Oberon’s grip on her arm.

“Enough!”

She looked down at the hand on her arm, and when she looked up, there was a dangerous glint in her eye.

“Take your hand off me, old man.”

“We do not have the time to debate this any longer.  I have given you to Jareth, and the two of you will be Bonded this very day.  Marek will be here no later than tomorrow, and you are wasting time with your foolishness.”

“You GAVE me to him?  Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I’m your father!  And you will do as I say!”

Reagan didn’t even think when his grip tightened, she simply reacted.  Her fist came from nowhere and made contact with Oberon’s eye with a sickening thud.  He let go of her arm in shock, and she was out of the library before either man could react. 

“How dare she?!”

“I told you, Oberon, that it would be difficult.  I’ll speak with her, but I think that you’d better stay here.”

Jareth left Oberon still fuming, and went in search of Reagan.  It didn’t take long to find her, the goblins were eager to point out that “Lady” had gone off towards the gardens, and she looked mad.  They’d all heard about what happened to Kingy’s brother when he brought Lady and made her mad, and they steered clear on the rare occasions she’d looked that way.  She was sitting on a bench, staring, unseeing, at the fountain. She spoke without looking at him.

“I wasn’t running away, if that’s what worried you.  I just had to get out of that room, and away from him.”

Jareth acknowledged her statement with a nod of his head, and stood behind her, careful not to tower over her.  She was agitated enough as it was, so he chose his words carefully.

“He means well, Reagan.  You’re his daughter, like it or not.  He wants to see you safe.”

“He GAVE me to you, remember?  I don’t care what his intentions are, if I’d stayed in there I would have done more than just punch him.  I’m not some child to be ordered around and controlled.  Not by anyone.”

“Would it really be so terrible to be my wife?”

He couldn’t control the tremor in his voice as he asked the question, dreading the answer she would give.  She looked up at him.

“Do you love me?”

He started, surprised at the response.  He opened his mouth to answer that of course he did, he was willing to marry her, then closed it.  She would see through the lie easily. She nodded as if he had just confirmed her suspicions.

“I don’t love you either.  How am I supposed to marry someone I don’t love, who doesn’t love me?  What kind of life would we have together?”

“Love has very little to do with Bonding, Reagan.”

She snorted, as if he’d said something humorous.

“So I’ve noticed.”

“Things need not change drastically, Reagan.  Truthfully, the only difference between us as we are now and any other bound pair is that we do not share a bed.  Apart from moving from your chamber to mine, there would be no great difference in your life.  Your new role as Queen would not require anything more than you are capable of doing.”

She said nothing to that, but stood and started pacing.  Draco was growing agitated, and shooting tiny daggers with his eyes at Jareth. 

_Stupid Fae do something?  I can hurt him for you._

A tiny laugh escaped Reagan at Draco’s offer to hurt Jareth.  Not that that would solve anything, but it was enough to shake her from her inner turmoil for the moment.  If he could hurt Galen, on the other hand…..

“Is the thought of being my wife really so unbearable, Reagan? Do you despise me so much?”

Given everything she’d been through since coming to his kingdom, it really wouldn’t surprise him if she did loathe the very sight of him.  Even though it wasn’t his doing that brought her Underground, he’d lied to her about aging, knowing she hadn’t really understood what was involved in her becoming a resident of his lands.  He’d thought that they were friends, but that didn’t mean anything.  And now he was suggesting that they move from friendship to a much more intimate relationship.

“I don’t despise you, Jareth.  I’m not madly in love with you, but I don’t despise you.”

Her statement gave him hope that he would be able to persuade her after all.  If he was careful to not push, or make it seem that she had no choice, maybe she would relent.

“See, we’re already better off than many bound couples here.”

Reagan laughed again, but there was no humor in the sound.  She wrapped her arms protectively around her body, shivering slightly, even though there was no breeze and it was a warm afternoon.

“It isn’t right,” she said softly to herself.  Jareth heard her, however, and quietly joined her.

“It isn’t right,” he agreed. “But it’s the way it is. “

“Either marry you, or marry some fool who thinks to own me, and spend eternity serving as a breeder. What a choice to make.”

Reagan fell silent again, and it looked to Jareth as if she was having some kind of internal discussion.  After a few minutes of silence, she nodded her head, and he found himself waiting for her answer.  Surely she wouldn’t decide to simply give herself over to Galen.  She would stay with him. She had to stay with him.

“So how do we do this?”

Reagan was startled by a knock on her door.  She’d been standing in front of her wardrobe for nearly an hour, trying to find something appropriate.  As soon as they’d returned to the castle from the gardens, she’d shut herself into her suite.  Not that it would be her suite for much longer.  No, after tonight, she would really be living with Jareth.

“Who is it?”

If it was Oberon, she wasn’t opening the door.  She hadn’t said a word to him when they returned, and she intended to keep it that way.  Jareth had explained that, as her father (though she still refused to take anyone’s word for that), he would attend their Bonding, but that didn’t mean she had to speak to him.  The rest of Jareth’s family would be in attendance as well, with Haldrin actually presiding over the short ceremony.

“It’s Saoirse.  May I come in?”

“Come in, Saoirse.”

The door to the sitting room opened, and Reagan turned on hearing Saoirse enter.  The Elven Queen was followed by the same Elven maid that had served Reagan only the day before.  The maid carried a wrapped parcel in her arms.

“I’ve brought you something.”

She directed the maid to set the parcel on the bed, and untied the cord holding it together.  The velvet covering was pulled back to reveal a gown similar to the one Reagan had worn to the ball two nights before.  The material was an ivory color, and even more sheer than the blue dress from before.  Saoirse held it up to Reagan’s body, and Reagan idle noticed that the sleeves trailed almost to the floor.  Underneath the sheer overdress was a sleeveless underdress of the same shade of ivory, made of a less transparent, but still gauzy, material.  Both the gown and matching slippers were embroidered in shades of green and brown.

“It’s beautiful.”

“I wore it when I was Bonded to Haldrin.  I thought that Jareth may not have arranged formal clothing for you.  I hoped you might wear it.”

“Thank you, Saoirse.”

Saoirse dismissed the maid, and the door closed quietly behind her.  Saoirse took a good look at Reagan.  She’d been surprised, to say the least, when her brother had contacted her and announced that he and Reagan were to be Bonded.  It made sense, she supposed.  If they were Bonded, neither Galen nor Marek could do anything about it.  She was surprised that no one had thought of it before.  That must have been what Haldrin and Oberon had discussed that very morning. 

For her part, Saoirse was thrilled that she was gaining Reagan as a sister.  The half mortal would be good for her brother, she was certain.  Jareth had spent far too much time living alone, with only his goblins for company.

“How are you?”

“Still wondering exactly when I’ll wake up and climb back out of the rabbit hole.  How did it come to this?”

Saoirse didn’t understand what exactly the young woman meant by the first half of her response.

“Rabbit hole?”

“it’s a story, from my world.  A young girl falls down a rabbit hole and finds herself in an impossible land.  She finally gets home by climbing back out.”

“Ah.  I see the similarities.”

She gestured for Reagan to have a seat in front of her vanity, and began running her fingers through Regan’s hair. Reagan leaned into the comforting touch.

“Jareth will be a good husband to you, Reagan. I believe that the two of you will be happy together.  I know that he’s been happier than I’ve seen him, since you’ve come.”

“Saoirse?  What exactly will be expected of me today?”

Saoirse picked up a comb, and began to gently detangle Reagan’s hair. The process of running the comb through locks nearly as long as her own while keeping her sleeves out of the way allowed her to think to herself for a moment before answering.

“The ceremony will not take long.  Has Jareth explained it to you?”

She smiled at Reagan’s nod.  Good.  She’d been rather worried that her brother may have been so intent on getting everything into place that he’d neglect actually telling Reagan what was going on.  It wouldn’t be the first time he pushed through with something without making sure everyone was in agreement, though it had been centuries since he’d done anything truly reckless.

“Good.  After the ceremony, the two of you will retire to his chambers. The family will remain overnight to serve as witnesses.”

“Witnesses?”

“That the ceremony was completed, and consummated. It is necessary, but do not worry.  None of us will disturb you.”

“Tonight.”

“If it is not consummated immediately, the Bond is not fully completed.  Marek could still take you.”

“I get it.  It’s- it’s a lot to process.”

When Saoirse had combed Reagan’s hair to her satisfaction, she directed the young woman out of her clothes and into the steaming bathtub.  The maid joined them, and between the two of them scrubbed Reagan completely clean.    Far too soon for her liking, she was toweled off and sitting back in front of her vanity, as the maid went to work on arranging her hair, and Saoirse applied an almost sheer coat of cosmetics to her face, helping to hide the blush she’d been wearing since she’d agreed to this farce.  This may not have been the wedding Reagan hoped for, but she’d be damned if she was going to go in there looking as if she’d been crying.

When at last Reagan was arranged to Saoirse’s satisfaction, the maid retrieved the underdress from the bed, and Reagan slipped into it, standing still as it was laced up the back.  The slippers went on next, as Saoirse claimed it was much easier to put them on when one didn’t have to worry about sleeves getting in the way, followed finally by the overdress. 

Saoirse looked her over critically, then nodded to herself.

“Lovely.  Just lovely.”

She left Reagan and returned to the bed, opening up a small velvet package that Reagan hadn’t noticed with the gown.  Saoirse returned to the vanity and opened it, pulling out an emerald necklace, and an emerald studded belt.  Reagan stood as they draped the belt around her hips, and settled the necklace into place.

“You look perfect, Reagan.”

“Thank you.”  She bit her lip nervously, unsure of exactly what to do now that she was readied.  There was another timid knock on the door, and Jareth’s stepmother entered.

“Everything is ready.”

Reagan took a deep breath and nodded, following the other women out the door.  She could do this. 

Jareth stood in front of his throne, fidgeting impatiently with his tunic.  The throne room had been cleaned from top to bottom, Sylvan’s presence enough of a threat to move every goblin to action.  The tapestries now stood out against the stone walls.  A fire had been built in the pit for the first time since Reagan had come to live with him. Everything was ready. The only thing missing was Reagan.

“Patience, Jareth. She hasn’t run away.”

“I’m not worried about that, Haldrin.”

His brother-in-law looked at him with an expression that was a cross of disbelief and amusement.  Jareth ignored it.  He really wasn’t worried about Reagan.  She’d accepted this Bonding, even if only to keep Galen from claiming her.  His concern was on the next day, when Marek arrived and discovered that the prize was already taken.  He wasn’t naïve enough to think that this would be the end of it.  Galen wasn’t one to give up easily, even when continuing to fight was futile.  And Marek would be furious when he couldn’t deliver the woman that he promised to his ally.  This could very well put the Goblin Kingdom at war with the High King, along with the Dragons.  Jareth idly thought that it was good thing he did not care for his position at the High Court.

The door to the throne room opened, and Sylvan and Saoirse entered, walking up to the fire before changing course and joining Renault, Melot and Oberon on one side.  Jareth barely noticed them once he laid eyes on Reagan, who was slowly making her way to his side.  He remembered the gown she was wearing was the very one Saoirse had worn centuries before, and he silently thanked her for bringing it.  Reagan was breathtaking.  She looked every inch the queen she was about to become. 

She placed her hand in his when she finally reached him, and he squeezed it briefly when he felt the slight trembling.  She was facing him, as protocol directed, but she was looking through him, keeping her eyes fixed on a tapestry behind him.  He could tell that she was barely listening as Haldrin, from his seat on Jareth’s throne, explained what it meant to be Bonded, and the responsibilities of both parties once they were joined.  She seemed to be in her own little world, a fact which hurt on some level that he could not name.  He hadn’t been overjoyed at the prospect of Bonding with her, but he had accepted it as necessary, and even found himself looking forward to having her as a full partner.  This was an occasion for which he was eager, while it seemed that the only way she could get through it was to imagine herself anywhere else.

Reagan snapped back to reality when she discovered that Haldrin was asking her a question.  She’d become lost in the surreal quality of the day, and the voice of Draco in her head, as she joined Jareth standing before the throne.  The tiny dragon had been very vocal, in a manner of speaking, at being left out of the ceremony, and she hadn’t been able to get his thoughts out of her head.  It hadn’t helped when she found that she was now able to have an entire mental discussion with Draco.  That it had happened while Haldrin was speaking was unfortunate.  She had no idea what he’d been saying, and it looked as if he’d tried more than once to get her attention.

“What?”

“Do you accept Jareth as your Bonded partner, and pledge yourself as his?”

Oh. Right.  Bonding. That was why everyone was here.  She was marrying Jareth right now.  She gave herself a mental shake, and an order to Draco to let her focus.

“I accept Jareth, and pledge myself as his.”

Haldrin smiled at her encouragingly before repeating the same question to Jareth, who did not hesitate in his response. Reagan noticed that he looked pained, an expression that had not been there when she first joined him.  She didn’t realize that Haldrin had continued the ceremony until she felt the sting of the blade against her wrist, and saw that Haldrin was holding it over a wine filled chalice.  He repeated the process on Jareth, and their blood dropped into the cup until Haldrin bound their bleeding wrists together.  He spoke again before handing the chalice to Jareth, directing him to drink.  Jareth took a long sip before handing it to Reagan.  He nodded his encouragement when she hesitated, suddenly uncertain, the cup raised to her lips.  She took a long sip herself before handing it back to Haldrin, who then unbound their wrists. That was it.  She was now Jareth’s wife.

They were immediately surrounded by Jareth’s family, who offered their congratulations.  Oberon stayed in the background as Reagan was embraced by all of them, even Melot, which she allowed only because she was more preoccupied by the continued pain in her wrist.  When she was finally released by him, Oberon pulled her into a swift embrace, letting her go before she could really object to his touch.  She was uncomfortable being the center of attention once again.

Jareth noticed that his new wife was growing increasingly uncomfortable with each well wish from his family, and decided that it was time to leave them. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her snugly against him, and they vanished, to reappear in his-no, their-chambers.  He found himself more than ready to make her his wife in every way, and gave in to the urge to kiss her.

Reagan didn’t know exactly how it happened, but somehow she was lying on the bed, Jareth beside her, kissing her as if he would never see her again.  One moment she was trying not to tense at the embrace of the Fae who called himself her father, and the next she was in the bedroom of her amorous new husband.    She noted in a rather detached way that he was an expert kisser, his tongue gently urging her to part her lips and allow him entry.  When she didn’t open her mouth, his hands moved from her face down her body, gently caressing her curves.  She gasped in shock when he rested a hand on her breast, and he used the opportunity to plunder her mouth. 

_Hands everywhere, all over her body, holding her down.  A mouth locking onto hers even as fingers moved down to the waistband of her jeans, fumbling to undo the button and zipper.  Reagan pushed against her attacker, and when he wouldn’t release her, she opened her mouth and bit his lip.  He swore and slapped her viciously, and she screamed.  Hands everywhere, going under clothes. Grabbing, squeezing, hurting.  He wouldn’t let go, so she tensed, and with a release of anger he flew off her.  Hands, no more hands, no more hurting_

“No!  Leave me alone! No!”

“Reagan!”

Jareth released her when he felt her begin to fight him earnestly.  She was mumbling to herself, something he didn’t really understand, but when he finally broke the kiss and looked into her eyes, he could tell that she wasn’t in the room with him.  While it brought him a small measure of relief to know that she wasn’t fighting HIM, he had no idea what had triggered this, or how to help her.  He took her shoulders and gently pulled her against him, holding her loosely as he spoke soothingly in her ear.  When he felt her breathing slow down, he pulled her chin up to look at him. 

“Where did you go?”  he asked once she was lucid.

“A- a flashback.”

Flashback.  Her mind had gone back to a memory, obviously a very bad one,  while they were….

“Reagan, did someone hurt you?”

She shook her head, but the trembling hadn’t stopped.

“He tried to.  He died.  We were on a date, and I couldn’t push him off when he tried to push for more, and I- I- I killed him.  Just like that. One second he was trying to rip my shirt off, the next he was dead.”

Jareth was beginning to get the picture.  He wasn’t entirely certain of the meaning of the word ‘date’, but it was clear that a man that Reagan had known had tried to violate her, and her magic had killed him when she couldn’t escape.  It was no wonder she was always worried about losing control. 

A moment later he realized that knowing what just happened wasn’t terribly helpful.  If he didn’t bed her, tonight, Marek could declare the Bonding incomplete when he arrived, and take her.  Then everything they’d just gone through would be for nothing. Jareth removed his gloves and began to gently stroke her hair until she calmed down. 

“I wouldn’t force you, Reagan.”

“I know.”

“Then trust me. Please. We’ll take this slowly.  I won’t hurt you.”

Reagan hesitated a minute, then slowly nodded, and Jareth began the process of removing her jewels, and loosening her gown.  He would be as careful as he needed to.


	13. Chapter 13

Jareth woke the next morning when the sun was already high.  He’d slept far later than he normally did, but looking down at Reagan, he decided that he had reason to.  Last night had certainly not been what he’d expected when he bonded with Reagan, and he still felt boiling rage at the idea that some foolish mortal had tried to violate her.  It was good that the man was already dead; if he lived, Jareth would go Above and kill him personally.  

He felt Reagan stirring in his arms, signaling that she was waking up.  He kept his hold on her loose.  In the event that she woke disoriented, he didn’t want to start fighting her again.  She stretched, letting loose a satisfied moan that wouldn’t have sounded out of place with last night’s activities.  He watched her blink repeatedly, and he could tell that she wasn’t yet completely coherent.  Her eyes grew wide when she noticed him watching her.

“Good morning, Reagan.  Did you sleep well?”

“Not terribly well, but then I toss and turn all the time.  I probably should have warned you about that beforehand. You may want to reconsider sharing a bed if you plan on getting any sleep.”

He smiled at that, but shook his head.  He wasn’t about to let her sleep anywhere else but at his side.  Even if she was a restless sleeper (and he could testify that she really, really, really was), he wanted her with him. 

“I think I’ll live.  How are you feeling?”

“A little sore.  Extremely tired.  Yesterday was quite draining.”

“Only a little.”

Reagan pushed herself to a sitting position, making certain the sheets kept her covered.  She wasn’t completely comfortable around Jareth, or this new situation. She supposed it would take some getting used to.  Jareth, for his part, didn’t comment on her newly developed shyness.  They did, after all, have eternity together; it wasn’t as if they didn’t have plenty of time. 

“We’ll need to face the others, soon.  Saoirse especially will want to see you; she’s become very attached to you. And of course, there are other matters to deal with today. I’m actually rather surprised Marek hasn’t already arrived.”

“Of course. Are my clothes in here yet, or are they still in my suite?  I mean my old suite.”

“They’re here.  I don’t suppose you would care to join me in a bath, first?”

“I don’t think so.”

She was blushing, furiously, which Jareth found rather endearing. She was so adorably shy in the privacy of their rooms.  He reached for a robe before slipping out of bed, and pointed out which wardrobe was hers on his way to the bathroom.  He definitely needed a good relaxing soak before dealing with the fallout of yesterday’s actions.

When he emerged from the bathroom some time later, he found Reagan dressed and picking at food from a breakfast tray.  He was pleased to see that she had again worn a dress, rather than the jeans and shirts he’d half expected.  He didn’t mind the informality of her Aboveground clothes, but they would have been inappropriate for meeting Marek.  It was heartening to see that the dress she’d selected was not one of Saoirse’s gowns, either.  The pale rose silk would not have looked out of place in the Above 18th century.  It was certainly more suited to his kingdom than to the Elves.  Was it wishful thinking to believe that she’d chosen it purposely?  That she felt more comfortable here with him than she did with Saoirse and Haldrin? 

“Do you plan on eating anything this morning, or were you just going to stare at me until Marek arrived?”

He joined her at the table, willing himself not to flush at having been caught staring.  If just the sight of his new queen looking as if she completely belonged here had him this distracted, he was in for a world of trouble.  He couldn’t afford to be so distracted when he squared off against Marek and Galen. 

“Is something wrong?”

Damn.  He’d made her think that he was worried, or that he disapproved.  He would have to correct that. 

“Not at all.  I was just admiring my lovely wife.”

It was her turn to blush, and she quickly ducked her head to avoid his gaze.  She hadn’t been looking for any sort of compliment when she asked the question, and his attention was making her slightly uncomfortable.  She gave herself a mental shake and told herself to stop being foolish.  Jareth had always been a bit of a flirt, which she put down to simple Fae mischievousness; he wasn’t acting any differently than he had before they Bonded.  She would simply have to get over this newfound awkwardness that seemed to have taken hold. 

Jareth watched the expressions that floated across Reagan’s face, which he found rather fascinating.  He could see embarrassment, some sort of internal debate, and finally determination, as if she’d made a tough decision.  He would love to know what was going on in her head. 

He chose not to speak, though, when she finally looked back up at him, and busied himself with selecting food from the tray.  He WAS hungry, and the food smelled wonderful. He would be willing to bet that Sylvan had gone to the kitchens this morning.   All of the food on the tray was something that could be found Above, and he was fairly certain it was Sylvan’s way of welcoming Reagan into the family, and trying to make her feel more comfortable.  He mentally cursed himself for not thinking of such a simple thing sooner. 

A furious knock on the outer door several minutes later interrupted the peace that had settled over the pair, and Jareth gritted his teeth at the disturbance.  It looked as if their all too brief honeymoon was to be interrupted even sooner than he’d expected. 

“Come!”  he barked at the door, and it opened to reveal Melot on the other side.  The younger man looked at Reagan apologetically before turning to Jareth, the apology becoming agitation.

“The High King is here, along with Galen.  Father and Oberon are keeping them in the Throne Room for the moment, but I wouldn’t put it past Galen to start roaming the castle looking for her.  You’d better come as soon as possible.”

“We’ll be there momentarily.”

Melot nodded and left them.  Jareth closed the door behind his brother, cursing, and turned to face Reagan.  She looked worried, but resolved. 

“So soon.”

“Unfortunately.  We’d better go once I’ve dressed. Keeping them waiting will not improve the discussion.”

He didn’t spend the time worrying over his clothes as he normally did.  A simple pair of dove gray breeches, white shirt, black waist coat and boots were quickly put on, and he pulled his hair back from his face.  This situation called for restraint, and the dignity his father sometimes despaired of him ever having. This morning he was a powerful king facing another powerful king.  It was not the time for theatrics or temper tantrums. 

“Are you ready?” he asked Reagan as he turned back to her, which was when he noticed that she’d turned around and was looking everywhere but his direction. 

“You can look now, Reagan.  I’m dressed.”

Once she had his assurance that he was decent, she turned to face him, and he offered his arm.  She rose from the table and accepted the escort, but he could feel the tension rolling off of her where they touched.  A tension that had not been there before yesterday.  If he’d hoped that she would be better about the situation the next morning, he was mistaken.  She was no more willing than she had been yesterday.  He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind as they reached the Throne Room.  He had to deal with one complication at a time.  He smiled to himself, however, when he felt Reagan’s hold tighten on his arm, seeking reassurance, and his free hand came up to briefly cover hers. 

“You’re not alone in this, Reagan. Not anymore.”

She didn’t reply except with a nod, which Jareth took to mean she was ready to continue, and the doors opened to admit them.  Someone had had the foresight, no doubt Sylvan or Saoirse, to have another chair placed next to his own, as well as benches circling the fire pit, and he guided Reagan to her seat before addressing Marek, or Galen, who was exchanging heated words with his father.  It did not escape his notice that Reagan looked immediately to Saoirse, who smiled at her and nodded reassuringly.

“Well, I see that we’re all assembled,” Jareth commented, as he noticed that all of his family, and Oberon, were seated and watching the exchange between Renault and Galen. Marek quickly silenced the both of them with a simple order of “Quiet” before he turned his undivided attention to Reagan and Jareth.

“I’ve received a rather troubling accusation, Jareth.”

“Have you indeed,” Jareth replied evenly.  He did not like the way Galen’s attention centered solely on Reagan, or that his eyes never left her.

“Yes.  Galen informs me that you have a female Caller living here with you, and that one of the Lost Eggs has not only been found, but has hatched a White Dragon.”

“All of it is true, Your Majesty.”

“He also tells me that you refused to acknowledge his greater claim to the woman, and that you are forcibly keeping her here, rather than allowing him to take her to his kingdom.  Knowing that his race is near extinction, you still refuse to hand the woman, or the dragon, over.”

Jareth could actually feel Reagan’s growing anger, and it wasn’t difficult to guess the source.  He quickly grasped her hand and gave her fingers a light squeeze, warning her not to say anything for the moment.

“She did not wish to go with him, Your Majesty.  And as the lady is one of my subjects, she is under my protection.  I could not force her to go against her will. As for the dragon, he has attached himself to her, and will not leave her.”

“Her wishes are of no concern! As a female Caller, she is vital to the continued survival of my people!  You have no right to deny me!”

Galen’s declaration sparked another outburst, and it looked to Reagan as if it might erupt in violence at any moment.  Jareth must have seen the look on her face, because he again took her hand in his own.

“Galen, calm yourself,”  Marek ordered. “We are here to settle the matter, and that is what we will do.”

The High King looked again to Jareth, and a persuasive expression settled itself on his face. Reagan was growing uneasy with the man who wore his authority as if it served only to make his life simpler. He looked almost bored with the entire situation, as if it was a game that he’d enjoyed but was quickly tiring of.  He didn’t appear at all concerned with the fact that he was talking about a person’s life.

“Jareth, even you must admit that the Dragon’s need outweighs whatever fascination you might have with the woman.  You cannot keep her here for your amusement, at the detriment of Galen’s people.  I expect better of you than that.  Surely you can find another mortal woman to keep you entertained.”

“Reagan is not leaving here, Your Majesty.  I will not give her over to Galen to satisfy his demands.”

“You’re wasting your time, Marek!  Jareth is clearly not going to cooperate, simply take the girl from him!”

Another argument broke out, this time between Galen and Oberon.  Reagan watched it all with growing anxiety.

_“Not going with those two.  Stupid, stupid Fae thinks he can order us to go!”_

_“Where are you?”_

_“Outside, playing with barking creature.”_

_“Stay out of sight for now.  Don’t let them see you, it would only make things worse.”_

_“Not afraid of Stupid Fae.  And other dragon can’t catch me.”_

_“Draco!  I mean it, stay out of sight!”_

Jareth didn’t know what was going on exactly, but he knew the moment Reagan’s attention was no longer on the argument that continued between Galen and her father.  She had the same look on her face that she’d had yesterday during the ceremony. While physically she was there, it was clear that mentally she was somewhere else.  For the first time, it occurred to Jareth that perhaps something was wrong.  Perhaps the Labyrinth was trying to connect with her again, though he couldn’t imagine why; since the egg had been recovered, the Labyrinth itself had been blessedly silent.

“Reagan?  Are you alright?”  he asked softly, speaking low to be heard beyond the yelling that tried to drown out all sound.  She snapped out the trance she appeared to be in and looked at over at him.

“I’m fine. Just, Draco.”

He didn’t entirely understand what she meant by that, but Galen’s attention was suddenly fixed on them again. 

“Draco?  You are speaking with the white hatchling?  You can speak with him in your mind?”

Everyone was watching her, and Reagan grew uncomfortable under their intense scrutiny.  She was never comfortable with attention, and certainly not under so many gazes.  She felt Jareth’s eyes on her, and quickly looked away.  He let go of her hand and gently squeezed her arm until she looked back to him.

“Reagan?  Can you speak with Draco mentally?”

“Yes, I can speak with him mentally.”

“You have all the proof you need, Marek.  She is a powerful Caller, vital to the survival of our people, and Jareth keeps her here!  We have never encountered a Caller able to speak to one so young.”

“It is remarkable, Galen.  Perhaps you would be good enough to call your young dragon to us, girl.”

Reagan stiffened, and only Jareth’s hold on her arm kept her from saying something insulting.  She knew it wouldn’t do their case any good to let the High King have a piece of her mind, but if he spoke once more as if she wasn’t there, or had nothing to say for herself—

“I think not, Your Majesty.  He was most uneasy at your arrival, and I could not answer for his behavior.”

Marek’s jaw literally dropped as Reagan refused his order in the most polite way possible.  No one refused the High King.  And this mortal woman, who was the cause of his most current headache, and animosity from the Dragons, dared to do so?

“You misunderstand me, girl.  It was not a request; it was an order from your High King.”

“I understood you, Your Majesty. I simply cannot force him to come if he will not.  And he will not come.  He’s not my pet, to be carried around on a leash.”

“When did this happen, Reagan?” Jareth asked softly as Galen and Oberon again began to argue.  Marek was also involving himself in the argument, and Saoirse took the opportunity to join her brother and sister-in-law.  Reagan found the other woman’s presence comforting as she answered.

“It started yesterday afternoon, during the ceremony.  One moment I’m walking into the throne room, the next that lizard is in my head offering to kill you. It would have been funny if it hadn’t been so surprising. For a moment, I thought I was going crazy.”

Yesterday afternoon. During the ceremony.   That would explain why she’d looked so distracted, why her mind hadn’t been on him as his was on her.  It wasn’t distaste for him, or an unwillingness to marry him.  Jareth refused to recognize the relief flooding through him for what it was.  Of course she was willing to marry him, he was making her a queen.  He’d never had any doubts to that effect. 

“Enough of this, Marek!”

The trio’s attention was again drawn to Marek and Galen, as their argument with Oberon came to a halt, and their attention was back on them.

“It should be evident by now, Marek, that Jareth has no intention of releasing the girl to me.  You must remove her, immediately.”

Marek directed a glare at the other king, his distaste for being ordered around evident on his face.  Jareth could have grinned at that, did he not have an idea of what was coming.  Marek would bow to Galen’s demands.  He was too eager to keep the Dragons pacified to do anything else.  Honestly, how the man succeeded as High King when he ceded to nearly everyone’s demands was a mystery to the Goblin King.  Well, it was time they settled this.  Jareth was tired of the game, and eager to get Galen out of his kingdom.  He stroked Reagan’s arm reassuringly.

“Very well, Galen.  Jareth, if you will not agree to release the girl to Galen, I will have no choice but to take her into my custody.  What say you?”

“I say that is impossible, Marek.  I cannot turn her over to you.  Or to Galen.”

“You know you cannot refuse an order from the High King.  Are you really ready to go to war over this mortal girl?”

“I cannot turn her over, because she is my Queen.”

“Impossible!”

Galen’s objection rang over the entire throne room, and even Marek, who’d begun his own exclamations of disbelief, fell silent. Jareth directed his attention to the infuriated man.

“I assure you, it is quite true.  We were Bonded yesterday.  Oberon and Renault can confirm it, if you like.  The entire family was witness to the event.  Haldrin performed the ceremony. Reagan is my queen, my mate, bonded and bedded, and neither you nor the High King can take her from me.”

Galen started for Jareth, the look on his face murderous.  His prize had just been stolen out from under him, and he wanted vengeance, that was evident.  Even Marek’s hand on his arm did nothing to restrain him.  It was only the remaining family standing by Jareth and Reagan that stopped him.  He could do nothing against such a united force, not in Jareth’s own kingdom.  No, this would have to be played out another way.  He would have the woman, he was determined.  The Bond she shared with Jareth would not stop him.  He would not let this chance to help his race escape.

“This is not over, Jareth.”

“It is over, Galen.  Reagan is my queen, by her choice, I might add.  You will not take her from this kingdom, and you will not take her from me.”

“The hatchling belongs to me.”

“The hatchling chose her.  When it reaches maturity, it may of course choose to join its own kind. Until then, however, he will remain here, with Reagan.”

With a vicious growl, Galen stormed out of the throne room, and Reagan sagged against her seat in relief.  Marek watched the other king’s retreat, before returning his attention to the others.

“What do you think you are doing, Jareth?  You knew that Galen was laying claim to the girl, and still you Bonded with her?  You had no right.”

“I had every right to Bond myself to a woman I wished to make my queen.  She was unattached, and she was willing.  Galen had no prior claim to her, whatever he may have said.  She was my subject, not his.”

“You’re risking war with the Dragons, Jareth.  Something no one wants.  And all for what?  A mortal?  Or do you just want to spite Galen that badly?”

“She is my daughter, Marek.  She is not a mortal.”

Marek looked to Oberon in surprise, then looked back at Reagan.  He couldn’t see any actual physical resemblance, apart from the eyes.  She didn’t appear too thrilled with Oberon’s interruption. 

“Is this true?”  he asked her.  She looked briefly over at Oberon before giving her answer.

“So he says.”

“It is true, Reagan.  You know it’s true, even if you don’t want to believe it.”

“Saying something is so doesn’t make it true, Jareth.”

Marek watched the two interact, until he saw that the others in the room were moving away from the pair.  Now that Galen was gone, the general threat was also gone, and they seemed to feel better about giving the newly bonded couple more space.  Marek knew that he should be furious with Jareth, and a part of him was.  Jareth had taken the girl, right from under Galen’s nose.  Knowing perfectly well that Marek would side with the Dragons, Jareth had circumvented his authority by Bonding with the woman before he arrived.  And he’d been aided in this act of deliberate insolence by no less than the Elf king and former High King.  If Jareth were a less powerful Fae, Marek would strip him of everything.  Not for the first time, Marek regretted that the Labyrinth, and by extension the Goblin Kingdom, could function apart from the dictates of the High Court.  

“It’s because she’s Oberon’s daughter, isn’t it?  Thinking of trying to make a play for the High throne yourself, are you, Jareth?  You know that you can never lay claim to it on your own, but if your queen was a daughter of Oberon, your children might be favored by the Court.”

Jareth looked genuinely shocked at the accusation, while Reagan simply looked confused.  It was Oberon who responded, sounding like an exasperated parent, rather than a respectful subject.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Marek.  Jareth knows full well that the Goblin King can never become High King, and Bonding to my daughter can’t change that fact.  Has it not occurred to you that perhaps he Bonded with her simply because he wanted to?  With no ulterior motive apart from making certain my daughter was not forced into something she’d refused, by either Galen or yourself?”

“As High King, it is my responsibility to act in the best interests of all the Underground.  It is my right to rule and direct all residents as I see fit.  We cannot afford to antagonize the Dragons at this time, Oberon.  Their numbers have dwindled, and assisting them in any way possible only makes sense.  If you were still High King, you would have acted the exact same way.”

“That is where you’re wrong, Marek.  I would never have allowed Galen to attain so much power.  You forget that not too many centuries ago they were our enemies.  They were only barely our allies before the eggs were stolen—“  


In the midst of their argument, neither man noticed when Jareth and Reagan disappeared. 


	14. Chapter 14

“So, what was Marek talking about back there?  When he accused you of marrying me for a throne?”

 

The pair had spent the entire afternoon avoiding any discussion of either Galen or the High King.  Jareth had whisked Reagan away to the hedge maze, knowing that the Labyrinth would conceal their location from Marek, should he attempt to find them.  The maze proved to be an excellent choice, and the king spent hours watching his queen play in the maze with her dog and the dragon that was the source of all the conflict.  The dog bounded happily after Reagan, not seeming to mind that he always just missed catching her around a bush.  Draco, on the other hand, seemed to take it personally when he could not catch her, and after a short time, took to either flying over the tops of the hedges, or burning a hole through them to create his own shortcut.  It was, in all, a rather carefree afternoon.

 

When the sun finally began to set, Jareth figured that Marek had to be gone, and suggested that they return before any of the family started to get too worried.  Winded and practically worn out, Reagan had agreed, her only request being to walk back, rather than be transported.  Jareth held out his arm, and they began the long trek; an exhausted Marley sprawling over Reagan’s shoulder as she held him up there with one hand and Draco riding on the arm she had looped through his.

 

“The Labyrinth is the most powerful entity in the Underground,” Jareth finally answered her, “and the Fae, and other races feared a High King who possessed such a power.  An immortal creature with limitless power, well, no one truly wanted that.  The last High King to control the power of the Labyrinth nearly decimated several of the minor species before he was finally stripped of his power and banished from the High Court.

 

It was decided, after that, that the Goblin King would hold the power of the Labyrinth, since it did sit in his lands, but that he would never be allowed to assume the High Throne.  The intention was that such unlimited magical power would never again be wielded by someone with unlimited political power.  It has worked well for millennia.”

 

“But now Marek thinks that you might plan to lay a claim to the High Throne through me?”

 

“Perhaps.  He fears losing his power.  And he has long envied the power of the Labyrinth.  He might see in you a threat to his position.  As a daughter of the former High King, you could very well be considered a potential heir to the Throne.  Our marriage should have negated that thought, but apparently it has not.”

 

“And, are you thinking of making a claim for the High Throne?”

 

“No.  I want neither that much power, nor that much responsibility.  Ruling the goblins and monitoring the Labyrinth—“

 

“—And stealing wished away children?”

 

“And stealing wished away children, is quite enough responsibility for me.  I have no higher ambitions.”

 

Jareth stopped walking, and turned to face Reagan.  It was important to him that she knew he had no ulterior motive for marrying her.

 

“Truly, Reagan, that is not why I married you.”

 

“I know.”

 

She picked up her skirt and continued walking, surprising him.

 

“You know? How?”

 

“I saw your face when he accused you of wanting the High Throne.  You looked at him as if he’d lost his mind, and you looked horrified by the very prospect of it.”

 

She read him well. Much better than Marek, who saw conspiracies and threats around every corner. He shouldn’t have been surprised.  The doors to the castle came into view, at last, and Jareth hurried his pace, pulling Reagan along with him. 

 

“Why the sudden hurry, Jareth?”

 

He didn’t respond, he just pulled her along.  As soon as they were inside, he took Marley from her and dropped him into a heap on the floor in front of Sir Didymus, and knocked Draco from his perch as he swung Reagan into his arms and bounded up the stairs with her.  He was a newly married man with a lovely wife.  He had any number of enjoyable activities planned for the evening.

 

The next day saw the departure of Jareth’s family, and Oberon.  Saoirse left with the promise of visiting again, soon, and of bringing Reagan back for a more extended visit to the Elves.  Melot was wise enough not to get too close to her as Renault and Sylvan said their farewells; he waited until Sylvan had embraced the newest member of the family to give Reagan a respectful nod and sincere wish for her future with Jareth.  Oberon’s parting words were a reminder to both Jareth and Reagan that he was always ready to offer assistance should they have need of it.

 

Finally, the new pair was left alone, and the week that followed became something of the honeymoon they would not be able to take.  Any work that could be put off was left, as Jareth spent his time with his new wife.  With Jareth, Reagan saw many portions of both the Labyrinth and the Goblin Kingdom that she had not seen during her run for her nephew, or any of her own explorations.  Reagan had to admit that it had a certain beauty, both wild and dangerous.

 

Any work that could not be put off was shared, with Jareth often asking for Reagan’s input now that she was queen. Reagan wasn’t sure how she felt about that, being queen.  She’d never been one of those girls who dreamed of a prince coming to put a crown on her head.  She’d never wanted to model her life after The Princess Diaries, cute though the movies might be.  And now, this strange kingdom was not only her home, which she had accepted upon trading herself for Cole, but it was HER kingdom.  She was a ruler, along with Jareth.  She now had a responsibility to the creatures that before had only been fairly interesting side notes of her existence.  Although on the plus side, this probably meant that no more of her bras would be used as slingshots.

 

It became something of a ritual for the pair to share dinner in the study as they worked through any business that was urgent, before Jareth either found something to entertain them or he simply pulled her into bed early.  The Fae was proving himself to be a most enthusiastic lover, now that Reagan was in his bed.  It was nothing unusual, during that brief period of freedom, for Reagan to wake with Jareth’s hands, or other appendage, on her body, eager to continue their lovemaking.  It was almost as if he’d been starved of such touch for far too long, and now that he had it, he was insatiable.  Reagan herself had been a virgin when she married, and she found that she greatly enjoyed sex, but he was exhausting her.  Was it some Fae thing, to have such stamina? 

 

It was almost inevitable that the peace would not last.  Reagan was in the courtyard, playing with Draco, who was starting to grow at an unbelievable pace, when her honeymoon ended.  She looked up, startled, when a goblin suddenly popped into view, and Draco let out a hiss.

 

“Kingy needs you in throne room, Queeny.”

 

He immediately disappeared, and Reagan shook her head to clear it, wondering if she’d actually seen him, or if he’d been a figment of her imagination.  She never would get used to the way things worked around here.  Deciding that it would be better to act as if that had just really happened than ignore it, Reagan headed back to the castle, Draco following behind her. He was now just slightly bigger than Marley, too big for her to carry. 

 

Reagan found Jareth sitting on his throne, head in his hands.  He looked up when he noticed that his subjects were moving restlessly, and saw them making a path for Reagan.  And the dragon, of course.  Now that he was growing, the goblins were afraid of him.  He smiled as Reagan joined him, and the goblins looked at her in what could almost be called awe.  They had been happy to have her as “Lady”, but now she was “Queeny”, and they were more eager for her than they were for Jareth.  He could almost be insulted at how quickly they shifted loyalty from him to his queen.

 

“I’m glad you’ve come, Reagan.  We have a visitor.”

 

Reagan looked in the general direction Jareth waved, and was surprised to see that there was indeed a person among all the goblins.  She’d completely overlooked them when she first entered.  She thought she could be forgiven for that, though, when the individual stood in the shadows of the room, a cloak pulled tightly around them, as if to protect themselves from their surroundings. 

 

As soon as Reagan’s attention was on them, the visitor moved forward, forcing their way through the crowd of goblins.  Based on the size of the person, Reagan concluded that it was likely a male, but thought she could be wrong about that.  Draco backed away, hissing, as their visitor came closer, and stopped before them, pushing back the hood of the cloak. The face was definitely male, but looked almost otherworldly.  His eyes in particular blazed with a sort of leashed fury, and Reagan found herself wondering what had pissed him off.

 

“So this is the Caller?”

 

 _Not again,_ Reagan thought to herself, _weren’t we done with all of this nonsense?_

“This is my queen, Reagan.  Reagan, this is Warhelm, a representative of the Dragons, and member of the High Court.”

 

Reagan nodded, not entirely sure what else she was supposed to do.  She didn’t like the fact that another Dragon was here, not after Galen.  Draco wasn’t happy with him either, if she could judge by the fact that he had just attached himself to her jeans and climbed up into her lap.  At least she wasn’t wearing one of the delicate dresses in her wardrobe.  He would have shredded the material with his weight.

 

_“Don’t like this one.”_

_“That makes two of us.”_

Warhelm took in the fact that the young hatchling was looking directly into the woman’s face, clearly communicating, but no words were coming from her mouth.  Galen had not spoken in error:  this one was a most gifted Caller.  She could help find the rest of the lost eggs. She was young, and healthy, she would be able to bear many children.  It was imperative that she be brought to their kingdom.  The Goblin King went too far in bonding to her, knowing that her place was with the Dragons, and that the High King would make it so.  It flew in the face of all common decency, allowing him to do such a thing. 

 

“What does your hatchling tell you?”  he demanded. 

 

“That he doesn’t like you.” 

 

Warhelm bit back the retort that was on the tip of his tongue.  For all that this hatchling was a white dragon, the rarest of all the dragons, he was still only a dragon.  He could not change his shape. And he dared to pass judgment on a superior?  Even as he thought it, the hatchling opened his mouth and hissed at him, smoke coming out.  He was close to breathing fire already.  Both the woman and the dragon needed to be taken back to his people, immediately.

 

“I am here to settle this, Jareth.”

 

“The matter is already settled, Warhelm. Ask Galen.”

 

“Galen does not always think, once he has a goal in mind.  But Jareth, he is stirring our people up for war against you, something that no one wants.  And the High Court will not side with you.  No one wants another war.”

 

“I do not want war, either, Warhelm.  But there is nothing to settle.  Reagan is my Queen.  I will not simply hand her over to you.”

 

“Marek is claiming that you want the High Throne, as well.  To take us back to the dark ages when all power was held in a single ruler.  You are losing what allies you had in the Court, Jareth.  Can you fight a war on two fronts?”

 

Reagan could tell by the set of Jareth’s jaw that he was angered. But she could tell by the shadow in his eyes that he was worried.  This was serious.  Very, very serious.  Reagan had held very little respect for Marek to begin with, but now she thought him insane. The man was trying to instigate a war, and for what?  Salvaging his ego?

 

Warhelm almost smiled when he saw that he was getting to not only the Goblin King, but the woman.  Women were much more compassionate.  Weaker.  Perhaps he could appeal to that, and end this without bloodshed.  He was serious, when he said the Dragons were ready to go to war, but he wanted to avoid that at all costs. 

 

“I am authorized to offer you peace, Jareth.  A cessation of all hostilities between the two kingdoms, and even, the rest of the High Kingdoms.  Peace, between the Dragons and all races of the Underground.  All you need do is drop your claim on this woman, and allow her to leave with me, today.  Consider how many lives might be saved in this.”

 

Reagan cringed, when she felt a “push” at her mind.  Someone was attempting to invade her thoughts.  She did not recognize the “voice” that was telling her how many would die if she continued to resist, and how many lives could be saved, but she knew it could only be one person.  She reached over and grabbed Jareth’s arm in a death grip as she focused on pushing him out of her mind, and blocking the intrusion.

 

Jareth frowned at Warhelm’s words.  The older Dragon was telling the truth, of that he was certain, but he wasn’t about to give in to the demands of the likes of Galen and Marek.  He wondered that Warhelm did not speak further, until Reagan grabbed his arm, and he was able to tell through their link that something was not right.  The damned Dragon was trying to invade his wife’s mind, and coerce her compliance!  Jareth subtly added his power to hers in forcing the foreign voice out of her mind,  and he sat back and watched with satisfaction as her anger at being so violated got the better of her, and she loosened the tight rein she kept on her control.  The Dragon was knocked back several feet before he slid into the wall on the opposite end of the room, goblins diving this way and that to get out of the path of danger. 

 

“I believe my wife has given you her answer, Warhelm.  There will be no more talk of her leaving my kingdom for yours.”

 

“Don’t be a fool, boy!  Listen to reason for once in your life!  The girl is too valuable to be left here with you, and it will not be allowed to happen!  One way or another, she will belong to us!”

 

With that, he stormed out of the throne room, and Reagan slumped into her seat, feeling exhausted.  Jareth leaned over the arm of his throne to take her face in his hands.

 

“Are you alright, Reagan?”  


“I’m just tired.  And pissed.”

 

That was good.  Her anger would help her stay alert.  Jareth was certain that this would not be the end of it, Warlhelm had all but declared war on them.  They would need to prepare.  He knew the Dragon’s wouldn’t dare attack the Goblin City, not with the Labyrinth right there.  They feared it, as nearly all the Underground feared it.  She would still be safe here.

 

“So now what?” 

 

She was watching him, and he tried to smooth the concern from his face.  What did they do now?  They had to counter Marek’s claims, somehow.  Warhelm was right; they could not afford a war on two fronts. And if the High Court did believe Marek’s claims, they could seek his removal from his throne.  The throne could be passed on to Melot. 

 

“We must gather our allies.  I’ll contact Haldrin, as well as my father and Oberon.  We must counter these ridiculous claims of Marek’s, before they do lasting damage.”

 

“Any idea how we’ll do that?”

 

“Not yet.”

 

He did not know yet what they could do, but surely with all the family at work on the problem, they could develop a strategy.   

 

“You are still safe here, Reagan. No matter what Marek or Galen may do, they cannot harm you in the castle, or the Labyrinth.  Until this is settled, though, I would not leave the kingdom.”

 

He hated that this meant she would be a virtual prisoner in her own home.  Certainly, she had free reign of the castle, and the city, should she choose to go into it, and the Labyrinth, but for now, the borders of their kingdom was the limit of her freedom.  They could not even visit any of his family without putting her at risk.  She could be reached almost everywhere else. 

 

“Good.  I think I’m just going to go and, yeah, I’m gonna go.”

 

He watched her stand and walk out of the throne room, head lowered, Draco trailing behind her.  She looked so-- he didn’t even know how to describe it.  Defeated, almost.   Lost.  He would do whatever it took to remove that expression from her face.  He wanted his wife to smile again.

 

First things first, though.  He had to contact the others.  He quickly conjured up a crystal, and summoned his brother in law. 

 

“Jareth?”

 

“Warhelm was just here.  He’s threatened war.  I need to speak to you, as well as father and Oberon.”

 

“I shall be there momentarily.”

 

“I have a better idea.”

 

Given Reagan’s mood, it might not be a good idea for all of the family to descend on them again.  He was certain she would not complain, but she would not be happy to have Melot around again, or Oberon.  In the week since he’d left, she’d not contacted him, nor even mentioned him, once.  Jareth understood her feelings, to some extent, but felt that this was not the time for such antagonism.  However, it was also not the time to push for any sort of reconciliation. 

 

“Come to father’s estate.  We can meet and plan there.  I believe it would be—difficult—on Reagan to have so many people around her at the moment.”

 

“Of course.  Would you like Saoirse to come to her, and stay until we are finished?”

 

“That would be very much appreciated, Haldrin.  I know that Reagan is quite fond of her; that would make it much easier on her than leaving her alone.”

 

Arrangements were quickly made after that, and within only minutes Jareth was searching out his wife.  She was not in their chamber, nor was she in the hedge maze, courtyard, or gardens.  He was rather at a loss for where she might be, and finally conjured up a crystal to reveal her location.  He was surprised to find her in the tower.  Since the first time she stumbled across it, before she found the egg, she’d avoided it.  Jareth let the crystal drop and changed form, flying up to the tower.  At least this way she would have warning of his coming, a better choice than transporting himself there.

 

Reagan looked up at the flapping of wings that accompanied the owl’s flight through the window, and watched as the bird morphed into Jareth.  She couldn’t say why she’d come back to this place, she certainly hadn’t intended to come up here.  This was his space, and she understood the need for a personal space.  Her feet just sort of guided her up the stairs. 

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“I didn’t mean to disturb your retreat. I’m honestly not even sure how I managed to get up here.”

 

“I told you before, you are welcome here.  My worry is for you, not this room.”

 

She looked so very young, leaning curled up on the chaise.   It occurred to Jareth just how young she was, in more than the abstract she-was-mortal-so-of-course-she’s-young way he’d thought of it before.  Only three decades.  Compared to Fae, she was an infant.  And she had been forced into a situation she couldn’t possibly understand, a situation most Fae would find difficult.

 

“I must meet the others.”

 

“Of course.  I’ll just get changed then.”

 

He placed a hand on her shoulder, preventing her from standing. Instead, he took a seat beside her.

 

“We’re meeting at my father’s estate.  Saoirse will be here any moment to keep you company while I’m gone.”

 

Reagan couldn’t deny the relief that Jareth’s declaration brought.  They weren’t coming here.  She wouldn’t have to deal with seeing them all again. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Jareth’s family (with the exception of his brother; Melot she could cheerfully never see again), but she didn’t think she could handle having so many Others around, not after that Dragon’s threats.  And that’s what they were to her:  Other.  They weren’t human.  However much they may look the same as Reagan, they were not the same.  They were something alien, something that Reagan would never be, no matter how long she lived. 

 

“Good.  It will be good to see Saoirse again.”

 

She did look forward to spending more time with her sister-in-law, without the interruption of either spouse or emergency. She missed such interaction, as she had had with Monica.  She missed having female friends.

 

“I may be very late coming back, don’t feel you have to wait up for me.”

 

He knew she would likely want the details of their meeting, but he also knew that it could be several hours before he returned.  He didn’t want her exhausting herself over this.  She was not Fae, and immortality notwithstanding, she was still half human.  He had to remember that. 

 

“I won’t.  Go to your meeting.”

 

He pulled her into an embrace, which he used to steal a kiss.  The kiss turned less innocent and more passionate, and he forced himself to let go of her and put some space between them, or he would never make it to the meeting he’d just organized.

 

“I’ll return as soon as I can, Reagan.”

 

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

It was late into the night, nearly dawn, by the time Jareth returned to the castle.  The debate and argument had lasted far longer than he thought it would, and that was followed by the brainstorming and plan forming.  He wasn’t entirely certain that Haldrin’s suggestion would work, but it was the best they’d come up with.

 

Still, that was a problem to be dealt with after he’d gotten some sleep.  Reagan was sound asleep, curled up on what had immediately become her side of the bed.  Draco was curled into a ball, pushing against the small of her back, and Marley was asleep with his head resting on her feet.  There were far too many creatures in his bed, but he was too exhausted to evict them.  There was plenty of space for him in the bed; they simply kept him from pulling his wife close.  He would address that before tomorrow night. 

 

Draco looked up at him as he quickly changed into a night shirt (Reagan still wasn’t completely at ease with him sleeping nude, and he’d discovered that night clothes could actually be quite comfortable) and slipped into the bed, and snorted softly.  Jareth shut the little dragon up with a glare. 

 

“Don’t even think of scratching me, lizard.”

 

The dragon just yawned and laid his head back down, once again pushing into Reagan’s back.  Jareth pulled up the coverlet and moved as close to his wife as he dared, quickly sinking into the oblivion of the exhausted.

 

                        L________________________________________________L

 

Reagan woke with the sun shining directly in her face. The heavy drapes were drawn back, when they should have been shut.  She was certain she’d shut them before she went to bed, wanting to sleep as late as possible, since she’d stayed up so late.  Resigning herself to the fact that she would be getting no more sleep, she sat up and stretched, wondering briefly why her back was so sore.  That question was answered when Draco looked up at her and hissed his displeasure at being disturbed; he must have been pushing into her back the entire night. 

 

A glance past Draco showed Jareth sleeping, undisturbed by the disruption.  He looked utterly exhausted, and she wondered just how long he’d been back.  Reagan wondered if anything had been accomplished at his meeting with the rest of his family.  What could they realistically do against such accusations as the ones Marek was throwing around? 

 

Marley yawned and stretched, his rear end sticking up in the air while his head rested on the bed, before standing on all fours and yapping at her.  That earned another growl from Draco, who was not yet resigned to the fact that he was not the sole object of Reagan’s affections, and Reagan decided it would be prudent to get the menagerie out of the room before they woke the sleeping Fae. 

 

She herded the animals off the bed and grabbed her dressing gown (wishing for her robe, because seriously, a dressing gown?  Just what century was Jareth living in?), slipping into it as she got both canine and reptile out of the suite.  It wasn’t as though she had to worry about guests; Saoirse had returned to her home sometime after 3 a.m., when Reagan was finally tired enough to sleep.  The goblins didn’t care what she wore one way or the other, as long as they could hang off of it, which was probably why they didn’t care for her jeans too much.

 

After making her way through the myriad of halls and staircases, she finally reached the exterior of the castle, and watched as Marley took off in the direction of the gardens.  At least he kept to one location when relieving himself.  Draco took to the air, hovering a foot or so above Reagan’s head as she followed her dog.  It was early yet, the sun was not completely risen, and the dew still clung to the grass. 

 

“You shouldn’t be out here alone.”

 

Reagan spun around in alarm when a man spoke behind her.  There shouldn’t be anyone here.  The fact that it was Melot was not at all reassuring.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“Keeping watch. After the meeting last night, we decided that someone should be here, watching for any potential intruders.”

 

“Does Jareth know you’re here?”

 

Somehow she doubted that Jareth would be happy with discovering that his brother, who openly coveted his throne, was lurking around his lands.  And she couldn’t imagine that he would agree to let the other Fae roam the grounds, no matter what the reason.

 

“Father and Oberon decided that someone should be here,”  Melot confessed, “after Jareth left.  This is a dangerous time.  What brings you out so early?”

 

“Marley.”

 

She turned around, intent on ignoring him as she pursued the sound of barking.  She bit back a curse when she heard him fall into step behind her. He apparently didn’t understand her warning barely more than a week ago that she didn’t want him anywhere near her.

 

“You can go back to watching out for invaders, Melot.  I’m perfectly fine on my own.”

 

“I had other reasons for coming here. I also wished to speak with you, Reagan.”

 

“I can’t imagine you have anything to say that I want to hear.”

 

She found Marley happily chasing after a small goblin, who looked to have been in the middle of tilling the ground around a tree.  It wasn’t so surprising to hear the small creature laughing, happy to abandon his work and play with the strange animal that belonged to “Queeny”. 

 

“I wished to apologize, Reagan.  None of this was my intention when I brought you here.”

 

“You didn’t intend to keep me prisoner here?  Just what were you hoping to accomplish in setting me up to read that book then physically preventing me from saying those damn words that would have sent us home?  What possible purpose could you have had?”

 

  “I was bored.”

 

He was bored?  He’d turned her entire life upside down, because he was bored?  She was going to kill him.  It didn’t matter that he was now her brother-in-law, he was a dead man. 

 

“You destroyed my life as I knew it because you were bored?”

 

She took a step towards him, and he was at least smart enough to back away. 

 

“You belong down here, Reagan.  Even if we didn’t know it at the time, I only brought you back where you should have been in the first place.”

 

“So you were doing me a favor?  Really?  That’s what you’re going to go with here; that it was for my benefit?”

 

She took another step towards him, and her eyes narrowed as he had the nerve to smile at her.  She was only prevented from blasting him into a tree by the appearance of Draco, who placed himself between the two of them, and gave Melot the most intimidating glare he could manage.

 

“What the hell?”

 

He turned his head and looked at her questioningly, still breathing smoke at the Fae.

 

“You were just the size of a Shetland pony.  How are you now the size of a Clydesdale?”

 

_“What’s a Clydesdale?”_

He turned his attention back to Melot, and Reagan was shocked to see just a hint of an orange flame coming out of the dragon’s mouth.  He was breathing fire.  Melot stepped back another step as Draco advanced on him. 

 

“If you want an apology you’ll get one, just please call off your dragon.”

 

When Draco continued to advance, Melot looked to Reagan, panic beginning on his face.

 

“Reagan!  I’m sorry, truly!”

 

_“Alright, Draco, you’ve scared him.  Thank you.”_

_“Stupid Fae.”_

Draco snorted and breathed flames at Melot once more, for good measure, before turning to face Reagan, shoving his head under her hand.  She scratched his scales obligingly. 

 

_“Exactly how much bigger will you grow?”_

She’d known he wouldn’t stay small forever, but he was now the size of a giant horse, and that was in less than two weeks.  She’d never seen a real dragon, so she had no idea just what sizes they reached.  What more could she expect?

 

Draco didn’t bother answering, he instead shoved his head into her chest, knocking her slightly back, and she had to grab onto him for balance.  His bright blue eyes twinkled with mischievousness and before she could move, he shot into the air.  She held on tightly, screaming.  In only a few seconds that felt like an eternity, she was standing safely on the ground.  Unfortunately, that lasted only long enough for Draco to get his teeth in her shirt and yank, tossing her back and dropping her onto his back.  He immediately took off again, and Reagan threw her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life, keeping her eyes screwed shut.

 

_“Put me down!”_

_“Sop screaming, silly Fae.”_

She was again down in only a few seconds, as he wasn’t fully grown, and couldn’t quite handle the extra weight for extended periods of time.  Reagan finally opened her eyes as they descended, to see Jareth standing beside his brother.  Damn.  She must have woken him with her screaming.  As soon as Draco landed, Jareth was beside her, helping her slide free. 

 

“Enough of that, Draco.  You’re not strong enough for that yet,”  he warned the dragon, whose only response was to roll his eyes before taking flight again, leaving the people standing alone.

 

“How’d he get so big so quickly?”

 

“His growth will continue to accelerate until he reaches full maturity.  He should reach his full size within the month.”

 

“I’m sorry.  For waking you.”

 

Jareth looked at his wife. He’d heard her screaming, and feared that Galen had somehow made his way into the castle.  A thousand different scenarios ran through his head, all of them concerning a possible abduction, even though he knew that Galen could do nothing inside his kingdom.  He’d arrived outside to find Melot waiting, which was a surprise, though not as big a surprise as the fact that Draco was apparently now large enough to carry Reagan.  She was safe, and unharmed.  The relief had been overwhelming, and she was afraid he was angry with her?

 

“It was not your doing, Reagan.  It was your dragon.  So long as you’re safe, it is nothing.”

 

“You have to be exhausted.”

 

Neither of them noticed when Melot slipped away quietly to give the pair their privacy. 

 

“It doesn’t matter.”

 

He’d gone for far longer on less sleep.  Much as he disliked doing it, he could handle it.  And tonight he would just make sure he got a proper rest. 

 

“Now, I’m starving.  What do you say to returning to our room and having breakfast sent up?”

 

Reagan nodded her agreement, and called for Marley.  He appeared, still chasing the gardener, who promised eagerly to return “Queeny’s Marley” when they finished playing.  Jareth decided to allow it, rather than order the goblin back to work.  He rather looked forward to having Reagan to himself, her attention focused only on him.  At least Draco wouldn’t be able to stay in their rooms any longer.  It might be time to have a stable built for him.  He certainly couldn’t come into the castle once he was fully grown.  He would destroy everything, unless he was put in the Escher room.  It was a pity there weren’t any suitable caves convenient.

 

Reagan didn’t realize how hungry she really was until the scent of food assaulted her the moment they returned to the sitting room.  She supposed that flying on a dragon and fearing for life might do that to a person.  They ate in companionable silence, until the meal was over and it was time to face the rest of the world.  It was time to address the meeting that had taken place last night.  They couldn’t keep reality (even one surreal as this) out forever.

 

“So, about your meeting last night.”

 

“What of it?”  Jareth asked as he pulled the laces on the back of her gown tight.  He’d warned her to expect any number of visitors during the day, and she decided that a dress was perhaps a better choice than jeans.  Still, he would have preferred a gown that was more in keeping with his kingdom’s style, rather than the more medieval Elven gowns.  Although another gown would likely prove more difficult to close.  At least none of her gowns had to be sewn to a stomacher, as some of the more ornate gowns in other kingdoms did. 

 

“You people are aware that the zipper was invented over a century ago, right?”

 

“Zipper?”

 

“Yes, zipper. You know, the thing that closes up my jeans?  You guys should really think about using them.  They are a great time saver.  But off that tangent, did you accomplish anything at your meeting last night?”

 

“There was a great deal of discussion, and a few possibilities suggested.  Sylvan suggested the possibility of hosting a gathering of the other Underground rulers, here, to counter some of Marek’s accusations.”

 

It did seem to be the simplest option.  The other rulers needed to meet Reagan for themselves, and she needed to be able to speak for herself, without either Galen or Marek to interfere.  They needed to tell their own version of events, as at the moment, only Marek and Galen were speaking.  Gathering everyone into one place, a place where neither Marek nor Galen could remove Reagan magically, was the easiest solution.  And as Sylvan liked to say,  people were much more easily convinced of something when they were surrounded by good food, pleasant company, and drink.

 

“I suppose that could work. When were you thinking of doing this?”

 

“As soon as possible.  We must move quickly.”

 

Of course they had to move quickly.  But Reagan knew absolutely nothing of throwing a party for fairy tale nobility, and she had the feeling that those preparations were something that fell under the office of the queen, not the king.

 

“I’ve never had to throw a large party before.”

 

“Don’t worry.  Sylvan offered her assistance, and the goblins are still afraid of her.  All we need do is choose a day, and she will handle the rest.  I wouldn’t expect you to undertake such a thing so soon, Reagan.”

 

That did make her feel better, actually.  Knowing that she wasn’t expected to swim in the deep end, so to speak, only a week into her new position, was a great relief.  She had no idea what she would do if she had to handle all of this herself:  she’d probably go insane.  Addressing a room full of students and lecturing them on English literature for an hour; that she could handle.  Throwing and hosting a party for fairy tale creatures, not so much.


	16. Chapter 16

Reagan looked at the pile of acceptances and decided that hyperventilating might not be out of order.  She’d lost count of how many invitations Jareth sent out, but so far, not a single rejection had come back.  It appeared that everyone was eager to meet the woman who’d caused such discord between the Dragons, High King and Goblins. 

For three days, the entire castle had been in constant uproar as Sylvan and Saoirse oversaw the extensive cleaning and refurbishing of the building.  An entire troop of goblin maids, and even humans Reagan hadn’t known lived in the kingdom were recruited for the task. Rooms that hadn’t seen use in decades were cleaned spotless.  Drapes were removed and taken outside to be beaten completely free of dust, and bedding was laundered repeatedly.  And that was only one small part of the work done in the castle. 

The throne room had to be even more spotless than it was for the wedding, as it was the room in which Reagan and Jareth would first receive guests.  Sylvan had explained the protocol for the occasion, but the only thing Reagan could remember was that everyone would come through the throne room to the ballroom, and she and Jareth would remain there until all the guests arrived.  They were to make a fashionably late entrance to their own party.  Jareth had better mind his manners enough to get her through the greetings, because she knew she would never be able to do it on her own. 

Sleep had been elusive the past three days as well, thanks to the fact that the castle was a buzz of activity twenty-six hours a day.  She was a light sleeper by nature, and now, there were constant interruptions that woke her up.  Jareth, by contrast, seemed to sleep like the dead.  She envied his ability to do that.

“It will all be over after tomorrow night.”

She turned at the unexpected intrusion into her thoughts. She hadn’t heard anyone come in, but Jareth was standing right behind her.

“Will it work, though?”

If she had to suffer through four days of no sleep, and the torture of trying to corral goblins into making necessary preparations, and damned seating charts (and why were they seating people at a table when it would be so much easier to just have servants pass through guests with trays than to have a sit down dinner?), and actually suffer through so many people who wanted only to gawk and gossip at her, all for nothing, she would go insane and take everyone around with her.  Jareth seemed to sense his wife’s mood, because he took the acceptances out of her hands and pulled her out of the study.

“I think it’s time for a break.”

Without answering her question as to where they were going, he guided her through the castle, up to the tower.  It was the one place where he could be sure they wouldn’t be disturbed with preparations for this gathering.  Not even his family would disturb him here, for anything less than a life threatening emergency.  He sat on the chaise, leaning against the back, and pulled her down to sit with him, until her head was lolling back on his shoulder.  One hand came up and began to gently massage her neck.

“Much better, yes?”

“Much. I think I would have gone mad if I’d stayed down there any longer.”

“Everyone will be gone after the gathering is over. Two days, three at most, and we’ll have the place to ourselves again.”

Most of the guest would stay the night, leaving the morning after.  His family would most likely stay for only another day to assist with the clean up and tearing down from the event.  Once they were gone home, Jareth didn’t intend to allow anyone to disturb them for at least two days. 

“You didn’t tell me that other humans lived here.”

He blinked at the seemingly random change in subject, and for a moment wondered how she found that out, then realized that the majority of the humans from the human city had come to assist with preparations.  He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought to tell her that before.

_Stop lying to yourself, old boy.  You didn’t tell her because you didn’t want her to move out there with them.  You were tired of having only goblins for company._

He ignored that inner voice for the moment, choosing to address the unasked question. 

“Most runners fail the labyrinth, and those they wished away must remain here.  Many of the children are adopted by Fae couples, as I told you before, but some do not find homes with Fae families. We also get the occasional young person-- I believe humans call them teenagers?—and the rare adult who are wished away.  They have their own city within the boundaries of the kingdom.  If you’d like, we can go there after all of this is over.”

“That sounds good.”

It would be good to speak with normal people, for a change.  She did like most of Jareth’s family, but they were alien to her.  She’d give almost anything to have a normal conversation that didn’t have anything to do with magic, goblins, the Underground, or dragons.  Reagan almost laughed at herself.  If anyone had told her there would be a day that she craved the quick succession of pissy nothings that made up a normal human life, she wouldn’t have believed them.   And she would have been proven wrong.

“Couldn’t you just make Galen disappear and have done with it?”

“Reagan?”

“This is all because of him, isn’t it?  This gathering, or whatever it is, it’s because of that jackass.  Why can’t you just get rid of him, and then we wouldn’t have to deal with all of this.”

Tempting as the idea was…..”Sadly, that’s not really an option.  It would simply cause even more fighting between the dragons and everyone else.  Even with him gone, now that we’ve stood up Marek, he won’t back down.”

 “Sometimes I wish this was just some strange nightmare that I could wake up from.”

Jareth stilled.  She wished she wasn’t his queen?  Did she really wish to leave him? 

“Are you still so unhappy here?”

“Not at all,” she assured him. And it was true.  She was happy enough, married to Jareth, and living in the castle.  She’d stopped dreaming of being a princess once she reached the age of twelve, and even when she did dream of it, she certainly didn’t dream of a place like this, but Jareth was kind, the goblins were entertaining, and she had Marley, and her own pet dragon.  It could have been a lot worse, once she volunteered to stay.  She could have been stuck with Melot. 

“But a month ago, I had a perfectly normal life doing exactly what I loved.  Now I’m in a fairy tale kingdom, queen to a race of creatures that just shouldn’t exist in the real world, and now some dragon-thing-person wants to use me as his personal incubator.  I can’t even step foot out of the kingdom without worrying that I’m going to be carried off like some swooning heroine in a bad romance novel. And what we’re doing here—there’s no guarantee that it will work, is there?  Even after all of this--this is like some bizarre roller coaster that never ends. “

He could fully understand her feelings.  This was a gamble, and one that did run the risk of not paying off.  Not that it would change anything when it came to their marriage, there was nothing Marek or Galen could do about that.  But it would affect the relations of their kingdom with everyone else in the Underground.  And if they failed, if they could not convince the other rulers that there was no intention of a challenge for the throne, then every time Reagan left the kingdom, she would be at risk. He didn’t know if Galen intended to find some way around the bond they’d already cemented, but the truth was that it didn’t matter.  All that the Dragon needed to do was to get her physically in his kingdom, and she was as good as gone.  He would have to go war to get her back, and without support from the other kingdoms, he wouldn’t win.

They needed the other rulers on their side.  Strength in numbers, and all that.  If they had the support of the majority of the High Court, Marek would drop his support of Galen.  He would be too afraid of a coup from another quarter to risk offending his allies.  Without Marek’s support, Galen’s claim would be moot.  He wouldn’t dare risk war when he didn’t have the protection and support of the High King.

“It will be alright, Reagan.”

“Do you really believe that?”

It had to be alright.  He couldn’t entertain the idea of any other outcome. He couldn’t lose her.

                -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reagan was seriously considering the idea of burning this cursed corset as soon as their guests were gone.  In view of the fact that she and Jareth had to present a united front for all the assembled rulers, dressing in an Elven gown (the most comfortable she’d worn so far, because really, corsets were so overrated) was not an option.  She had to dress appropriately for her position as Goblin Queen, and as much as she loved the wine colored silk gown that had been made for the occasion, the damned corset was fast destroying all her goodwill for the event.  

“You look stunning, Reagan.”

Saoirse had offered to help her dress for the event, for which she was grateful.  The corset would have been impossible to pull tightly herself, and Jareth was off on some last minute issue that had to be corrected, before he could even begin to get ready himself.  Now that the corset was fitted appropriately, and the dress on and closed, Saoirse pulled the younger woman to her feet and guided her to the full length mirror. 

“Holy shit.”

She almost didn’t recognize herself.  The off the shoulder dress split open in the front, to reveal an underskirt of the same material, covered in gold embroidery.  Fitted in the front, the back was gathered and pleated so that it hung loose, falling to the floor so that the folds formed a ridiculously long train.  She was going to have to remember that it was there.  She’d balked at what they had planned for her hair, and ordered them to keep it as simple as possible, and she had to admit she was pleased with the result.  Ropes of twisted hair wove through the otherwise simple chignon, which was then interspersed with jewels.

And the jewels she wore—she’d never seen such jewels.  The tiara and necklace she wore were set with diamonds and rubies so dark they were almost the color of blood.  She didn’t even want to think of how much these would be worth back in her world. 

“I can’t do this.”

She turned away from the mirror and sank into the nearest chair.  Saoirse followed her, concern evident on her face. 

“Reagan?”

“I can’t—I’m not a queen, I’m a college professor. I can’t do this.  I’m not that person in the mirror.  I can’t—“

Saoirse waved her hand, and another chair slid up to join them.  She seated herself, and took Reagan’s hands in hers.  The woman was shaking like a leaf.  She fit so well into Jareth’s life, it was easy to forget how new all of this was to the half-Fae, and how overwhelming this place could be to someone who was unaccustomed to it.  It was not unlike her first experiences in the Elf court.  It had taken her some time to become used to the differences between Haldrin’s kingdom and her own.  And she was native to the Underground.  Young Reagan was not. 

“I’m certain that this is overwhelming for you, Reagan.  But you’ve done extremely well, and I’ve no doubt that tonight you will be perfect.  In all honesty, I don’t think anyone could be a better wife and queen for my brother. I know that my parents agree with me in this. Much better than--” she cut off midsentence, and Reagan could tell that she hadn’t meant to say so much. 

“Better than whom?” she asked curiously.  Jareth had never mentioned previous paramours.  She wasn’t naïve enough to believe that he hadn’t had relationships with others in all his millennia of existence; she supposed it was natural curiosity to wonder about her husband’s (would she ever get used to thinking that?) former affairs.  Why didn’t he already have a queen? 

“Better than any of the other Fae women who’ve at some point taken it into their head that they should be the next Goblin Queen.”

Reagan was certain that was not what Saoirse had meant when she said that she was a better choice.  She had the feeling that Jareth’s sister meant a specific person.  Well, she wouldn’t pry.  She would just have to ask Jareth later.  Probably during a fit of post coital bliss.  That was when he was the least censored with his answers. 

The chamber door opened, and Jareth stalked in, looking thoroughly annoyed.  That didn’t bode well for the evening.  Saoirse was quick to take her leave as her brother started stripping off his clothes, with no regard for the fact that his sister was in the room.  By the time he reached the bathroom, and the tub of steaming hot water, he was completely naked.  Reagan had to wonder if that hadn’t been his plan from the moment he opened the door.  It was certainly more effective than simply telling Saoirse to leave would have been.

“Damned guests are already arriving,” he called out to her as he sank into the bathtub.  Now he would have to hurry through bathing and dressing before the evening began.  Damn it all.

His plans to have a long soak, and a glass of wine or two to settle himself before everyone arrived were shot.  That was annoying, but it wouldn’t have been so bad, were it not for the identity of the new arrivals.  Tallis had arrived, nearly an hour before any of the guests were due, with Arionne.  Marek’s youngest cousin was an annoyance at any time, but now he was insufferable.  Jareth had been forced to spend twenty minutes listening to the man rant about the insult to his house that resulted from Melot’s behavior, and demanding that the King of the Goblins make reparations for his brother’s blatant disregard for a husband’s right.  When he could bear it no longer, Jareth had felt obligated to point out that Arionne had been a willing participant, and that Tallis needed to look to his own wife before demanding any satisfaction from the Goblin King.  He had no intention of covering the mess that Melot had made. He had too many other problems of his own to worry about, at the moment.

Unfortunately, that had only sent Tallis off on a monologue about Jareth’s mortal pet (for which he very nearly found himself in the Bog of Eternal Stench), and the probable consequences of his rash decision to make a bid for Marek’s throne, and defy the High King in the matter of the Dragon’s claim on the girl.  Jareth had no doubt that Tallis would do his utmost to make certain that as many of the nobles sided with Marek as possible. He mentally cursed the diplomacy that required him to actually welcome Tallis and Arionne, and treat them civilly.  He would so dearly love to send them packing back to the High Court.  Let Marek deal with his insufferable cousin; a man who had obvious pretensions to becoming the next High King.

He hurried through his bath, only taking the time to clean himself thoroughly.  As soon as that was accomplished, he stepped out of the tub and dried himself off, wrapping himself into a towel before heading back to the bedroom, where his clothes were waiting for him.  Reagan had moved while he was bathing, and was seated on the window seat, a book in hand, pointedly ignoring his presence.  She wouldn’t look back at him until he assured her that he was decently covered.  He took the opportunity to study her.  She looked absolutely stunning, and he felt a stirring of desire that he couldn’t afford to indulge in at the moment.

“If you’re ready, we should head down to the Throne Room.”

She set the book down and looked over at him.  He found himself wishing that he could read her thoughts.  He was curious to know what she thought of him.  She’d never once given an opinion on his appearance.  He knew that he looked otherworldly to her.  All Fae did.  They were rather ridiculously attractive to humans, and Reagan was half-human. 

He knew she had to feel some attraction to him, he didn’t believe that her response to him in bed was feigned. Why should this bother him now?  There were more than two hundred guests scheduled to descend on him at any moment, and he was worrying about whether his wife thought he was attractive?

_You have much more important things to worry about, old boy. Get a grip._

He waved the chamber door open once she joined him, and he slipped his arm through hers.  He could feel the fine trembling of her hand through the material of his coat and shirt, as they approached the Throne Room.  He gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze as they made their way through the guests who’d already arrived.  Tallis and Arionne were now joined by several other nobles, as well as Jareth’s family, who’d handled watching over the new arrivals until the royal couple was able to make an appearance.  Jareth kept his head high as he felt all eyes on them, watching him escort Reagan to her throne, before seating himself.  That seemed to be the signal everyone was waiting for, as they were suddenly set upon by nearly everyone, questions fired at Reagan from all sides.

The greeting continued for over an hour before the last of the guests arrived, and Jareth finally indicated that they should follow the crowd to the ball room.  It was the first time Reagan had ever seen this room, and it looked strangely out of place among the rest of the castle.  The room was paneled in mirrors and long white curtains, with swags of dark blue velvet hanging down.  None of the stone that the castle was built from was visible.   Reagan was pleased to see that her suggestion of foregoing a formal dinner had been followed.  All of the tables and place cards had magically disappeared, and the gathered nobles were standing in groups, conversing as servants passed through with trays of drink and food.

As soon as they entered, the musicians (all human, thank goodness, as she’d heard what goblins considered music) began playing, and Jareth guided her into a waltz.  Of course.  No one else could begin dancing until the floor was opened by their hosts.  Sylvan had told her that.   It did not take long for other couples to join them, making Reagan feel slightly less self-conscious.  If people were dancing, they weren’t staring at her. 

They danced only three dances before stepping off the floor and making their way around the room, so that Reagan could be properly introduced to those they hoped to make their allies. She held tightly to Jareth’s arm as they went from group to group, making certain that no one was excluded from their attention. These people made her uneasy.  There was something about them that just made her uncomfortable.  It was almost as if they were waiting for something, and she didn’t know what.  And while much of the crowd was dressed in their best clothes and jewels (the centaurs could be forgiven for walking around naked), others appeared dressed for an orgy.  There was almost an unhealthy air around certain groups as they made their way past.  Was this what the rest of the Underground was like?  If so, she couldn’t bring herself to regret not being able to see it.

“We have to see them eventually, you know,” Jareth finally told her after the third time she turned him in a different direction than the one he wanted.  On the other side of the room, speaking with Haldrin and Saoirse, were Oberon and Titania.  Reagan knew that they couldn’t be ignored, but she dreaded this meeting.  She still didn’t trust Oberon, and Titania was a complete unknown to her.  What was she supposed to say to the wife of the man who supposedly impregnated her mother?  How would the Fae woman react? 

She felt all eyes again on them as Jareth walked her over to the former High King and Queen, and she got the feeling that this was what they had all been waiting for.  She also had the feeling that this meeting might determine just how much support they received from the other rulers.  If the former High Queen chose to ignore her, or worse, lash out at her, most of the other women would follow suit.  And if the women followed Titania, their men would be led by their example.  She was well experienced with that trend.  The Fae in question stared at her as they approached, her expression frosty.  She looked almost the exact opposite of Oberon, with her hair so light it was almost white, and skin nearly as pale.  She also looked as if she would love nothing better than to tear Reagan to shreds.

“Remember your place!”  Reagan heard Oberon hiss quietly at his wife when they were very nearly there.

“That bastard woman’s mere presence offends me!”  Titania hissed back.  Reagan wondered if anyone else could hear them.  Oberon’s hold on Titania’s arm visibly tightened, and Reagan winced in sympathy.

“She’s my daughter, woman!  And you’ll remember that your own bastards are the same age she is, and that I did not cast them out, as is my right.”

Dear lord, this couldn’t end well.  Reagan started having second thoughts about meeting the former High Queen, and tried to unobtrusively pull away from Jareth.  Jareth kept a secure hold on her arm, holding her against them as they greeted the group.

“Titania, I don’t believe you’ve met my wife, Reagan.”

The Fae woman stared at Reagan as if she was some sort of oddity, and Reagan felt her hackles rising.  It certainly wasn’t her fault this woman’s husband had taken her mother as some sort of toy, and she’d be damned if she let Titania make her feel guilty, or inferior in some way.  She returned the stare with a challenging gaze of her own. 

“Yes, she does look almost exactly like your human companion.  There’s no mistaking the girl’s mother.  Her paternity, on the other hand—“

“Watch yourself, Titania.  You don’t want to make a scene here.”

“Who else’s could she be but yours, Oberon?  Everyone knows how possessive you are of your little pets.  No one would have dared make a move for your precious human.  No, she is certainly your daughter.  And she is absolutely lovely,” Titania added, raising her voice enough to be heard by the others, “a most fitting queen for you, Jareth.  I’m sure that you’ll both be very happy together.  I can see why you were so eager to marry her.”

“Yes, Titania.  We are quite happy here, in our home.”

No one could mess the stress Jareth put on the words “in our home”, or the challenging look he wore that dared anyone to contradict him, or make a vocal accusation.  Tallis glared at him, but said nothing, and it appeared that the rest of the crowd had no interest in bringing up Marek’s claims. A general sigh of relief could be heard throughout the room when it became obvious that there would be no altercation.  Reagan saw what could only be some sort of currency trading hands, discreetly.  She had to bite back a laugh at something she would never have associated with the Underground:  betting pools. 

Reagan couldn’t help but notice that the atmosphere in the room warmed considerably once she had Titania’s acknowledgment, and she lost track of the names of nearly everyone who was suddenly much more eager to speak to her.  She threw Jareth a pleading look when Sylvan removed her from his side and pulled her into a group of chatting women.  She cursed him under her breath when he did no more than smile reassuringly at her.  The truth was that he was relieved the meeting between his wife and the former High Queen had gone so well.   With that out of the way, he felt no need to keep her constantly by his side, and the more women she could make friends with, the more allies they might have. 

“She seems to have settled into her role as your queen,” Oberon commented.   Jareth nodded his agreement.  She had settled, far more easily than he expected.

“Her dragon has grown to nearly its full size.  I expect that it will reach full physical maturity within the next fortnight.”

“Truthfully?” 

“Indeed.  He’s breathing fire, as well.”

“Are you prepared to have a fully mature dragon in your kingdom?”

The potential for destruction was great.  There was a reason, after all, that dragons lived in the mountains, where others did not.  Draco could easily raze the entire goblin city to the ground without realizing it.  He would have to see to creating a space for the dragon to fly freely, away from his subjects.  He knew better than to try to rein the creature in; it would never work.  They couldn’t expect the dragon to ignore its instincts.  He had plenty of land; he would have to make a point of finding the most suitable location in the next few days.

                ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reagan didn’t know how many hours she’d spent on her feet, dancing and meeting the rulers of the other Underground kingdoms.  It felt forever since she’d last been able to sit down, or even grab a drink or bite of food, and she was exhausted.  Surely they couldn’t go on much longer? 

The room was now uncomfortably warm, and she really needed to get out.  As soon as a break in the conversation presented itself, she grabbed Sylvan and told her that she was stepping out for some air.  The Fae woman let her go with an “of course dear, clear your head”, and she slipped through the crowds and out onto the balcony.  She felt better the moment she stepped outside. Maybe she could finally breathe.  It was much cooler, in the night air, and much quieter.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her mind.  She really couldn’t wait for this night to be over, and for all the guests to leave.

A sound alerted her that she wasn’t alone, and she turned her head sharply at the noise.  If someone had followed her out here to talk to her, she couldn’t be responsible for her actions. 

“Who’s there?”

A cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows, and Reagan began to inch her way back to the doors.  There was no reason for anyone else to be out here, and certainly not hiding where they couldn’t be seen.  They had guest rooms for anyone who decided they needed privacy to—entertain—each other.

“Who are you?”

Judging from the size, the intruder was female, and when the hood was pushed back, Reagan nearly screamed.

“Norah?”

She had to be seeing things. Norah couldn’t be here, Underground.  She just—it wasn’t possible.”

“Hello Reagan.  It’s good to see you again.”

“What—how--?  Wait a minute.  You remember me?”

Jareth had said it would be as if she never existed Above. How could Norah know who she was?  None of this was making sense.  Unless--

“Are you from here?  The whole time you lived in Charleston, you were from here?”

“It’s a long story.  The short version is that yes, I am from the Underground.  I would have come to see you sooner, but I didn’t realize you were here until you didn’t show up at school, and no one seemed to know you.”

Reagan stood where she was as Norah stepped up and pulled her into a tight hug.  It was good to see her friend again, whatever the reason.  She’d thought she would never see anyone from her old life again.

“I’ve missed you, Reagan.”

“I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed home.  This place is completely insane.  Have you seen my brother? How’s Cole?”

She hadn’t been able to bring herself to check on them.  She knew she wouldn’t be able to take watching them, knowing that to them, she didn’t exist. 

“I’ve seen them.  They’re doing very well.”

“Good.”  It meant that she’d done the right thing.  It was far better that they forget her than think that they would never have children. 

“I’ve brought you something.”

Reagan looked at Norah curiously as that woman reached into the folds of her cloak and came back out with a bottle of Dr. Pepper.  Reagan smiled when she accepted it, and found that it was ice cold.  Of all the things to miss from home, it was this simple thing that she missed the most.  Her poison of choice. She should have thought of asking Jareth to bring her some.  Obviously, if he could bring all of her clothes, and her dog, he could bring something this simple.  And he could travel Above freely.  She would have to remember that.

“Norah, you’re an absolute angel.”

She unscrewed the cap and raised the bottle to her lips, drinking deeply.  She didn’t think she’d ever tasted anything so good in her life. 

“Oh my word, that’s wonderful.  I’m going to have to get Jareth to stock up for me.  Goblin Ale leaves so much to be desired.”

She leaned against the wall as she suddenly started to feel light headed.  Norah was watching her, but the expression wasn’t concern.  It was as if she was waiting for something, and Reagan felt those faint stirrings of alarm growing.  Something wasn’t right.  She was starting to feel weak.  And those eyes—staring into Norah’s face, she knew she’d seen those eyes somewhere before, and not on her friend. 

“What have you done?”

“Don’t fight it, Reagan.  Everything will be fine.  Just close your eyes and sleep.”

“Jareth!” 

That couldn’t be her voice.  It was too weak.  She tried to call out again, but no sound came.  She stumbled along the wall, trying to get back to the ballroom, but Norah blocked her way.  Reagan felt a moment of stark terror when she looked down at the hand on her arm, and saw the shift from skin to shimmering scales and back.  No! 

“Don’t fight it, Reagan.  Sleep now.”

Just before the world went dark, she saw the impossible:  Norah shifting from a woman to a full grown dragon.  Her last conscious thought was that she must be in flight, as the wind whipped through her hair, and she felt sharp talons biting into her skin through her clothing.


	17. Chapter 17

Jareth was getting worried.  Reagan was nowhere to be found, and he hadn’t seen her in over an hour.  He’d even sent goblins up to their suite, thinking that perhaps she’d slipped up to bed without him noticing, which was incredibly unlikely.  Reagan didn’t seem to be anywhere in the castle. 

 

“Jareth, is something wrong?”

 

Saoirse joined him when she noticed his agitation.

 

“I can’t find Reagan.”

 

“I’m certain she’s here somewhere.”

 

“I haven’t found her anywhere in the castle.”

 

The only place he’d not yet been able to check was the tower.  He couldn’t risk having his disappearance noticed by any of their guests, and it was the one place the goblins couldn’t just pop into. 

 

“Then I’ll check.  No one will care if I’m gone.”

 

At his nod, she disappeared.  Perhaps she was in the tower.  If so, he would be immensely relieved, after he yelled at her properly for disappearing on him.  What troubled him was that no one had seen her.  While she was certainly powerful enough to transport herself if she wished, she didn’t have the training to do so.  To go anywhere, she would have to physically walk, and she should have been seen.

 

Saoirse reappeared a moment later, now looking as worried as Jareth felt. She wasn’t in the tower.  That meant that she wasn’t in the castle, and Jareth felt a sinking in his gut.  She wouldn’t just leave the castle, not when they had so many guests.  Not on this night, which was so important.

 

“Perhaps she just went outside, to see her dragon, or her dog.  Mother said that she went out on the balcony because she needed air earlier.  She might have gone to her animals.”

 

That was a possibility he’d considered, but dismissed it after only a moment.  He knew that Reagan might do such a thing, if she felt too confined or overwhelmed, but she would not have stayed away so long. And she wouldn’t have jumped from the balcony.  She would have had to go back through the ballroom. There was no getting around the fact that someone should have seen Reagan leaving, if she left the room.  She couldn’t have simply disappeared, not on her own.

 

“She would have been back by now, if that was the case.”

 

A low rumble shook the chandelier, and it was followed by an inhuman roar outside.  The musicians stopped mid-song, and the guests froze in their tracks.  After a moment of frightened silence, the room was filled with countless voices asking what was happening. Jareth had a terrible suspicion that he knew exactly what it was.  He was probably one of the few Fae who’d actually heard a dragon vocalize their outrage before.  Draco. 

 

“Everything is quite alright, I assure you.  Please, continue.”

 

He felt a brief wave of disgust that his guests did exactly that.  Something was clearly wrong, but they would rather enjoy themselves than find out what the problem was.  The downside to immortality, perhaps:  when time was all one had, one had to find ways to fill it.  The pursuit of distraction, and pleasure, left little room for anything else.  Why worry about anything when eternity had a way of making even catastrophes feel like no more than a minor inconvenience?

 

He shook his head as he transported himself out of the castle.  He had far more important things to worry about than how much he despised some of his contemporaries.  His wife was currently missing, and her dragon was furious, which was a good indication that she wasn’t simply missing from the castle.   He followed the cries until he found Draco, who’d been banished into the garden.

 

“Draco!”

 

The sound was enough to burst his ear drums, which would not be at all helpful at the moment.  At the sound of his name, the dragon stopped, and looked down at the Fae who was now shorter than he was.

 

“I can’t read your thoughts, so you’ll have to answer me.  Nod if the answer is ‘yes’, and shake your head if the answer is ‘no’.  Can you do that?”

 

He nodded his head vigorously. 

 

“Is Reagan gone?”

 

He nodded again, and Jareth lost the small hope that she was simply hiding from the crowd somewhere.

 

“Do you know where she is?”

 

The dragon shook his head so violently Jareth worried he might hit something.

 

“Can you still speak with her?”

 

Again, a violent shake of the head.  Damn.  Only a tremendous distance would prevent Draco from being able to communicate with her.  Whoever took her had her somewhere far away.  It had to be Galen.  The question was how.  He wouldn’t have been able to use magic, not in the Labyrinth.  And if he’d even tried to get near the castle with the safeguards currently surrounding it, Jareth would have known. 

 

“We’ll find her.”

 

He hoped it wasn’t a lie.  He was certain that she was on her way to the dragon kingdom, if she wasn’t already there.  He would have to prove it.  He couldn’t make the accusation without proof; not if he wanted the support of the other rulers.

 

“How could this happen?” Oberon demanded once Jareth returned to the castle.  The other guests had been politely “encouraged” by the former High King to retire for the evening, so only Jareth’s family and Oberon were waiting for him in the ballroom.

 

“I don’t know yet.  The safeguards are working. Galen couldn’t have come near the castle.”

 

“Then he sent someone else.  Someone who could have gotten past the safeguards undetected.”

 

“That still wouldn’t explain how someone was able to take Reagan without raising an alarm.  Even if it was someone Galen sent, they wouldn’t be able to use magic to take her.  And Reagan wouldn’t just go quietly.  We’ve seen firsthand what she’s capable of.”

 

Melot had a point.  Not even Marek would have been able to use magic to take Reagan, not with the Labyrinth watching over her.  And if anyone tried to bodily remove her, she would have put up a fight that would not go unnoticed, even in the chaos of a full ballroom.  So how did someone get her out of the Goblin Kingdom?

 

“Where is the last place anyone actually saw Reagan? I suggest we begin our search there.”  Haldrin suggested. Jareth was grateful his brother-in-law was there.  Elves were probably the least emotional of the Fae races, and Jareth’s were currently running so high he was having trouble thinking. A level head was precisely what was needed.

 

“I saw her step out onto the balcony,” Sylvan informed them.  She must have been the last person to see Reagan.  Again, she would have been noticed coming back into the ballroom.  Haldrin and Oberon led the group that made their way out to the balcony.  Jareth couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

 

“Do you know what this is, Jareth?”

 

He looked over to Melot, who held a bottle in his hands.  Dr. Pepper.  Oh yes, he recognized that.

 

“It’s a beverage from Above.”

 

What was it doing here?  This was nothing he brought from Above, and there hadn’t been any runners in the last two weeks.  Not to mention, the only runner to even get close to the castle was Reagan, and she’d had nothing but the clothes on her back, and the book he’d given her.

 

He accepted the bottle from Melot, and looked at it.  It had been opened, that much he could see.  He carefully sniffed the contents, and nearly dropped the bottle.  He didn’t know how the beverage was supposed to smell, but he could smell the scent of belladonna, quite heavily.  If Reagan had indeed drunk this, she would have been unconscious very quickly. 

 

“She was drugged, then. Once she was unconscious, it would have been an easy enough matter to fly out of here with her.  No magic necessary.”

 

Damn.  They’d been so worried about magical possibilities that they’d completely ignored the non-magic threats.  He’d failed.  He’d promised to keep her safe, and he’d failed.

 

“But why would she drink this, if that’s what happened?”  Sylvan was asking, “Why would she accept anything from someone she didn’t know?”

 

An excellent question.  There was no sign of a struggle, so if that beverage was the culprit, Reagan had consumed it willingly.  She wouldn’t have trusted something offered by a stranger.  That left only one frightening possibility:  Reagan knew her attacker.

 

“Melot, when you hunted Reagan above, did you see any of us with her?”

 

“I saw no one I recognized.  I felt the trace of magic, but once I experienced Reagan’s abilities firsthand, I assumed that it came from her.”

 

“Think, Melot.  When was that trace the strongest?”

 

“What are you thinking, Jareth?”  The question came from Oberon, and Jareth looked directly at his father-in-law for the first time since discovering his wife’s absence.

 

“She would only have accepted this from someone she trusted.  Someone she no doubt spent a great deal of time with.  I believe that Melot saw that person.  Our best hope for finding her is for discovering precisely who drugged her.”

 

There were a limited number of Fae who could travel Above freely, which should help.  It should also help that the majority of those few who could do so were currently occupying the rooms in his castle.  But even with that slight advantage, discovering the culprit would be difficult.  During Samhain and Beltane, any Fae could travel above.  There was no telling who had done so recently. 

 

L_________________________________________________________________L

 

Reagan came to awareness slowly.  Opening her eyes, she immediately closed them when the world started swimming around her.  She opened her eyes again slowly, and cautiously took inventory of her body. Her head hurt beyond belief, her eyes felt gritty, and there was an awful aftertaste in her mouth.  What happened? 

 

There was another problem, probably more serious than her current physical condition: her physical location.  This was no room in the castle that she recognized.  There were no windows, no fireplaces.  The roaring fire came from fire pit set into the floor.  The walls were not the cut stone of the castle.  They were stone, but they looked solid, as if the entire room had been carved out of one enormous block of stone. And the bed she was on.  This was not her bed.  It was far too large, for one thing.  Larger even than the bed she shared with Jareth, and that one could have easily accommodated four people.  Where was she?

 

There was no door, only an entrance covered with what looked to be leather.  She could hear someone on the other side of it; more than one person, and she carefully pushed herself up to a sitting position.  Whatever she was about to face, she’d be damned if she faced it lying down like an invalid.  She reconsidered the wisdom of that attitude when the world started swimming again.  She had to stop moving and hold on to her head until everything came back into focus.  Only this time she wasn’t alone in the room.  Large hands were on her shoulders, steadying her.  Reagan opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Galen, and Norah was right behind him.

 

“Carefully, now.  You’re suffering the after effects of the belladonna.”

 

“You drugged me.”  She looked at Norah accusingly.

 

This woman was her friend.  They’d spent Saturdays shopping, going to the movies; countless hours grading papers and making up final exams, all of it together.  And Norah had drugged her and kidnapped her.

 

“I’m sorry it came to that, Reagan.  It wasn’t what we wanted at all.  There wasn’t another choice, with Jareth keeping such a close eye on you.”

 

Reagan shrugged out of Galen’s grip and glared at them both.  She tried to scoot away, but movement was still not her friend, and Galen again held onto her to keep her from falling over.

 

“Drink this,” Norah filled a cup and held it out to her; “it will help.”

 

“As if I would trust anything you offered me now.”

 

Did they think she was stupid?  That she would really just accept food or drink from someone who’d just drugged her and kidnapped her?  She didn’t know what had happened to Norah, or how the woman ended up here, but she knew that Norah had somehow become her enemy. 

 

“We’re not here to hurt you, Reagan.”

 

Maybe she was seeing things, but the other woman actually looked hurt that she would think such a thing. Reagan refused to feel any guilt over that.

 

“Then take me back home.”

 

Galen tensed at the demand, and the grip on her arms tightened to the point she thought it would bruise.  Norah opened her mouth to speak, and closed it almost immediately.  Instead, she took another step towards the bed, cup in hand, and held it out entreatingly.

 

“Drink this, Reagan.  It will help rid your body of the last of the belladonna.  You’ll feel much better.”

 

Reagan reached out as if to take it, but knocked it out of Norah’s hand.  If they were going to ignore her, she refused to cooperate.  Norah looked unhappy with the action, but resigned.  Reagan didn’t dare look at Galen to see his expression.  She might try to claw his eyes out if she actually saw them. 

 

“I know that this may be difficult for you to understand, Reagan, but you are home.”

 

It was the first time that Galen had bothered to say a word directly to her.  His hands started moving up and down her arms, as if he meant to be comforting.  The gesture did nothing to soothe her.  It only made her more wary.  She tried to shrug out of his grasp, but he didn’t release her. 

 

“Let me go.”

 

“You are safe here, Reagan.  There’s no need to fight any longer.  No one will harm you.” 

 

“Bullshit.  You people kidnapped me!”

 

“No, no we didn’t kidnap you,” Norah rushed out as she knelt beside the bed and took Reagan’s hands in hers.  “We corrected the mess that was made when the Goblin King brought you to his kingdom.  You were never supposed to be Jareth’s wife.”

 

“How do you know who I was supposed to marry? And what gives you the authority to decide that?”

 

“Because you were supposed to be my wife!”

 

She couldn’t help turning at that exclamation, and stared at the man who’d dared to order her kidnapping.  He’d lost his mind if he thought that her finding that egg gave him the right to lay some sort of claim to her.

 

“The hell I am!”

 

She looked horrified at the very prospect.  Norah sighed.  This wasn’t supposed to happen this way. 

 

“Galen, let me speak to her.”

 

Perhaps she would be more receptive if Galen wasn’t holding onto her so possessively.  They would need to handle this carefully.  Jareth would no doubt come after her, once he figured out where she’d gone.  They could easily keep her hidden, and keep him out of their stronghold, but the only definitive way to avoid a war was to have Reagan here of her own free will. Norah knew that the young woman would not be easy to persuade. 

 

The Dragon glared at her, but left.  Norah took his place on the bed. Reagan turned away, actually turned her back to face the wall, which hurt, though Norah quickly masked it.  The half-Fae had a right to be angry.

 

“Reagan—“

 

“Get away from me.”

 

“I know that you’re angry, Reagan, but please hear me.”

 

“What are you doing?  You were my friend!  How can you be part of this?”

 

“I am your friend, Reagan.  But Galen is my brother, and your place is at his side.  It always was.”

 

“And how the hell would you know that?”

 

“Because I’ve seen it.”

 

That made even less sense.  Reagan looked over her shoulder at the other woman, who was wearing the most earnest expression she’d ever seen.

 

“What do you mean, you’ve ‘seen it’?”

 

“I have the gift of foresight, Reagan.  I see things that will be.  I saw my brother’s future:  under his rule, the stolen eggs would be recovered, and there would finally be a lasting treaty with the rest of the Underground.  I saw his children, four of them female.  The first female Dragons since my own birth.  I saw the recovery of our race, Reagan.”

 

“And what does any of that have to do with me?”

 

“I saw the same in your future.”

 

No. Reagan didn’t buy that for a second.  Even if what Norah said was true, and she saw the future (which would really be one of the tamer things she’d seen since coming to the Underground), that didn’t mean that Reagan’s future was meant to be tied with Galen’s.  Visions weren’t freakin’ proof of anything. 

 

“I saw it, Reagan.  I saw your future, with Galen.  I saw your children; just as I saw you in Rebecca’s future.  I have seen your future since the moment of your conception, and it is constant.  Your future has always been with my brother.”

 

“Even if I believed you, which I don’t, by the way, how do you explain the fact that I grew up in Charleston?  If my future was always with your brother, then why the hell wasn’t I down here?”

 

“I failed to see Rebecca running away from Oberon.  She’d been here five years, and seemed settled into her life.  She was my friend in the Court, and never once did she even hint to being unhappy.  None of us ever dreamed she would find a way to escape, or that she would attempt it.”

 

“It doesn’t sound like your visions are too reliable, then.”

 

“They are, Reagan. I may not see everything, but nothing I’ve seen has ever failed to come to pass.   When Rebecca disappeared, I feared for my brother’s sanity. Knowing of you—many times during his fight to save our people, knowing of you and your shared future was all that kept him going.  As soon as I located Rebecca, I went Above to watch over you. To keep you safe.”

 

“Watching over me?  Keeping me safe? Bullshit!”

 

She didn’t believe any of it.  Who the hell did these people think they were?  What gave them the right to try to direct her life?  She wasn’t going to be this man’s damned wife, and them saying it was so wouldn’t make it true!

 

“Reagan, you must be rational for once. Why would I lie?  You’ve known me for years, Reagan.  I’ve never lied to you.”

 

“Never lied?  Everything was a lie!  My entire existence was a lie!  One you helped to perpetuate for your own selfish purposes!  What was the end goal, Norah?  What was the point of stalking me in Charleston?”

 

The female Dragon drew in a sharp breath at the accusation, but didn’t deny it.  Reagan would be her sister, and she was owed honesty from this point.  It was the only way she would ever learn to trust them, which was an absolute necessity.

 

“I would have brought you down here during Beltane. It’s one of the only times you could be brought here to stay permanently.  You’re finally matured enough to fit your role, Reagan.  You would have come to our kingdom, and been brought to my brother. It’s unfortunate that the Goblin King brought you first. You’re as a sister to me, Reagan.  You always have been. We had to bring you home.  This is where you belong.”

 

At that, Reagan shot up from the bed, ignoring how that action made the room spin.  The woman she’d considered a friend had just calmly informed her that they’d planned to kidnap her and make it so that she was unable to ever return home. They’d planned this for years, based off of a vision of her future.  No more. She’d had enough of being told what her future was supposed to hold.  She would make her own damned decisions.

 

“No!  I made my choice!  I chose to marry Jareth, and your damned visions do not outweigh my right to direct my life, so go to Hell, and take your brother with you!  I will not be his wife!”

 

“Reagan, you are his queen! Your children will save our race!”

 

It probably wasn’t a good idea to let her anger get the better of her, or to release it at the closest thing she would probably have to an ally in this place, but she couldn’t bring her self to care.  With a blast of energy, she sent Norah flying into the wall, and she ran out of the room.  She found herself in a much larger room that was carpeted with furs, and held large chairs and a book case.  Some sort of sitting room, then. There were two tunnels through the room, which one to choose?

 

Reagan realized that she had to be in some massive underground structure.  She had to get to the surface, and get the hell out of here.  She had to get home.  She had no idea how long she’d been gone, but Jareth had to be frantic.  He was no doubt already looking for her. 

 

Hearing movement coming from the bedroom, Reagan ran into the tunnel on the left.  The torches on the wall lit themselves automatically as she passed them, which worried her.  If Norah was following her, it wouldn’t be hard to find her with a trail of light to guide the way. She soon realized she’d gone the wrong direction when the air started to smell even staler.  She was getting deeper underground.  Dear God, she couldn’t go back the way she came.  Norah was certain to be there, and possibly Galen as well.  But she couldn’t keep going the wrong direction. There was no telling what was down there.   

 

_“You can’t stay here, Reagan.  You have to move.”_

 

The mental order was enough to shake her from the wall.  It was a terrible idea, heading back to where she knew others were waiting for her, but she couldn’t go further underground.  She couldn’t stomach the thought of being buried alive down there if something was to cave in.  Maybe she would get lucky, and Norah would have already gone off looking for her. She could hope.

 

She found her way back to what she figured was the main room with relative ease; the torches hadn’t gone out.  A bit of fortune at last; the room was empty.  Perhaps she could make it through the other tunnel, and outside. 

 

“Reagan.”

 

The voice came from behind her. Galen. She hadn’t even heard anyone approaching.  He must have been in that tunnel behind her.  If she’d continued, would she have run straight into him?  Well, she wasn’t going to stick around to find out.  Her muscles tensed, ready to spring into action.  She was going to get through that other tunnel to the surface, or go down fighting.

 

“Reagan, don’t do it,” he warned her, even as his hand landed on her shoulder and he carefully spun her around to face him.

 

“I am not your enemy, Reagan.”

 

Putting all her weight into it, she pulled back and punched him directly in the face.  He let go reflexively, and she used the distraction to sprint for the other tunnel.  She heard a roar of anger, and Galen hot on her heels.  She cursed the ball gown and shoes that prevented her from getting any lead over him.  In only seconds, she was pulled back into his arms, and carried back into the bedroom.  She lashed out as they moved, aiming for anything that was within reach: face, arms, sensitive body parts were all fair game.  She had the satisfaction of hearing him grunt in pain as her kick to the kneecap landed spot on, before she was unceremoniously dumped on the bed.  He immediately pinned her down, deflecting every blow she tried to land as he began the process of disrobing her.

 

“Get your hands off me, you crazy bastard!”

 

“Stop fighting me, woman!   You are my queen!”

 

“Over my dead body!”

 

She bit his lip when he leaned forward and attempted to plunder her mouth with his own.  Reagan knew real fear when he managed to remove all of the jewels that had weighed her down the entire night, and her shoes.  This wasn’t Jareth, who’d stopped the moment she began to freak out.  This was a lunatic on some deranged mission, and she had the sinking feeling that nothing she did would stop him.  She knew her fears had proven correct when he gave up on unlacing the dress and simply ripped it off her, leaving it in shreds on the floor.

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

Galen looked down at the woman sleeping beside him.  He could see the bruises already forming on her pale skin, and felt a moment’s guilt.  He’d tried to be as gentle as he could with her, but she’d fought him.  She struck him, called him monster and other foul names, even drew blood.  This was his queen, the woman who would help to save his species. 

 

He’d wanted their coupling to be easy for her, enjoyable. He’d waited decades for her, ever since Norah discovered that Oberon’s mortal mistress carried his future queen. Decades imagining having her in his bed, an eager participant in their lovemaking. He didn’t think it was conceit to claim that he was a most capable lover, when none of the women he’d bedded ever complained.  He’d anticipated a thoroughly pleasurable union with his queen, once Norah brought her to him.

 

Instead, because he lost control, they’d come together in violence.  He closed his eyes against the memories of her shrieks of outrage, and her screams of pain, as he moved within her, pinning her hands above her head, holding on to them as an anchor as he thrust towards his own release.  He’d never taken a woman unwillingly before.  He regretted having to do so now, but that would not prevent him from doing so again tonight, or any other night.  Reagan was his.  He would not give her up.

 

He cursed Jareth for his interference, for bringing Reagan Underground before Norah could do so.  He knew that Norah’s visions were true.  Reagan was meant to be his queen, to help save his people.  And she was meant to be happy with that fate.  Norah had seen a future where Reagan loved him, where that feeling was mutual. It was a future where they were not simply king and queen, but lovers, companions, confidants. 

 

Now, thanks to Jareth, that future was in shambles.  The Goblin king had the audacity to challenge not just Galen’s claim on his mate, but the High King himself.  Knowing Marek would do what was right, Jareth had colluded with the former High King to keep the woman for himself. Gods only knew what they’d told Reagan to convince her to bond with Jareth.  Whatever it was, she now saw him as a monster.  She would see this mountain stronghold as a prison, not her home. 

 

Norah was ever optimistic that with time Reagan would see that this was the better place, and Galen the better choice.  Galen knew better.  She would never stay of her own will, not while she was bonded to Jareth.  Her head was filled with the mortal ideas that bonding was about choosing one’s mate.  It was a pity that Rebecca managed to escape Above.  Had his queen been raised Underground, where she belonged, they would not now have an issue.  She would have been his from the start.

 

Reagan shifted in her sleep, and he heard her soft whimper as she landed on a bruise.  Galen carded his fingers gently through her tangled hair, but stopped when she pulled away.  She was curled away from him, hunched in on herself.  She was doing her best to protect herself, from him.  That thought grated on his conscience.  His queen should not ever feel that she had to fear him.  He should never give her cause to do so.

 

That was just something else for which he could blame Jareth.  Of all the women the Goblin King could have chosen to abduct from Above, he had to choose the woman who already belonged to another.  If Jareth wanted a mortal pet so much, he could have any other woman. But instead of taking a mortal, he’d taken the half-Fae daughter of Oberon, the woman who was fated to be Galen’s.  And putting that right meant that instead of courting the woman, he’d had to resort to kidnapping, and rape. 

 

Any hope of keeping her without going to war rested on getting her pregnant, as soon as possible.  The maternal instinct ran deep within the half-mortal. Norah had known Reagan her entire life, and she was absolutely certain that Reagan would never abandon her child.  He would have to bed her, willing or not, until he was certain his child grew within her. But how he would prefer to have her willing, and wanting him, as his sister had seen!

 

She was shivering, and it was only then that he noticed the fire dying out.  He took up one of the furs from the foot of the bed and spread it out over her.  He was comfortable in the cool of the mountain, she was not.  He would have to do his best to accommodate her.

 

That brought to mind the practical issues of having Reagan here.  Her only possessions were the gown she’d been wearing last night, and the jewels.  The jewels would eventually find their way back to the Goblin Kingdom, since she would have Dragon jewels here, and the gown, well, the remains of it laid on the floor beside the bed.  She had not even a chemise to cover herself.  He would have to arrange appropriate clothing for her, immediately. He wanted no one else, not even his sister, to see her body.  That sight was for him alone.

 

She would need food.  It had now been several hours since she’d eaten. Even if she’d eaten anything at the ball, she’d now been in his country for over half a day.  That was fourteen hours.  He was unsure how long she could go without food, but he would not put it to the test.  He just hoped she would eat it.

 

Leaving Reagan to her sleep, Galen slipped out of the bed, pulling on a pair of pants as he went.  He was surprised to see Norah in the main room, a tray of food in her hands and a worried look on her face. She must not have expected him to come out of his own bedroom.

 

“Galen, what have you done?”

 

“She is my queen, Norah.”

 

He took the tray from her, but she followed him into the bedroom and saw the woman curled up in the bed.  Her eyes travelled to the ruined gown on the floor, and her eyes narrowed at her brother.

 

“How could you?”

 

Galen’s own eyes narrowed at the challenging tone in his sister’s accusation as he set the tray on the small table near the fire pit.  He started to speak, but thought better of it.  He didn’t want to wake Reagan with an argument.  His queen needed her rest, especially after the previous night.  She might be Oberon’s daughter, but she certainly lacked his stamina.  He pushed past Norah, and stalked through the main room, back through the tunnel that led to the pools.  They would not be overheard there.

 

“How could you?”  Norah demanded again.

 

“She was trying to run away, Norah.  I had no choice.”

 

“No choice?!” 

 

She slapped him, hard, the sound reverberating through the cavern.

 

“You dare claim you had no choice but to rape her!”

 

She moved to slap him again, but he caught her hand.  He let her get away with it once, as his sister.  He would not do so again.

 

“That’s right, sister.  I had no choice.  If she runs away, bringing her here was for nothing.”

 

“And you’ve just guaranteed that she’ll try to run again!  She needs time, Galen.  She’ll never trust us if you force her!”

 

“There is no time, Norah!  It won’t take Jareth long to figure out where she is, and he will come for her.  If she doesn’t stay of her own will, there will be war.  And we have only a few months, at most, before that happens.”

 

It would take the Goblin King that long to exhaust every diplomatic possibility.  Galen was certain Jareth would try other means before resorting to war.  Once that failed, he would have to rally his allies before he could launch any sort of attack that could hopefully succeed.  They had possibly four months before the first attacks came. 

 

“Yes!”  Norah hissed at him.  “We have months to convince her to stay!  She’ll want to avoid a war as much as we do, Galen!”

 

Galen shook his head at his sister.  It was sometimes easy to forget how young she was, not even five hundred years.  She’d been sheltered from the last of the wars, guarded as the last female of the royal line. She’d never witnessed the loss of life that came from such fighting.  Her wish to avoid war came from the abstract idea that war was bad, not from the experience of losing a loved one.

 

And she’d never taken a mate.  She didn’t understand the possessiveness of a male over his mate.  Galen had been content to let her spend her decades Above, as it kept the possibility of someone carrying her off to a minimum (a real possibility given the shortage of women among his people), but she appeared to have absorbed human ideas of choosing a spouse, and women having the choice. Perhaps it was time to remedy that. There were a number of Dragons who’d expressed interest in his sister.  Men he trusted.  Men who could keep her well occupied and give her children of her own to devote her attention to. He would see to it once this issue of Reagan was settled. 

 

“Norah, you’ve known Reagan her entire life.  She’s chosen to bond to Jareth.  Because of whatever ideas they put into her head she fears me.  Do you honestly believe that she would ever be convinced to stay unless she carried my child?  If you tell me there’s another way, I’ll listen.”

 

Norah wanted to slap her brother again.  He was right in that.  It didn’t matter what they told her, Reagan was convinced that they were her enemy.  She would never agree that her choice was less important than her fate.  The only thing that would overrule her in that regard was a pregnancy.  She wouldn’t be allowed to leave if she was pregnant, and she would never abandon her child once it was born.  There was no other way.

 

“She’s my friend, brother. This isn’t what I wanted for her.”

 

“I take no joy in this either, Norah.  I would rather devote the time to winning her over, and have her willingly, but we don’t have that time.  She must be with child by the time Jareth can amass an army.  I will do whatever is necessary to accomplish that, even take her by force.  You must still be a sister to her, and aid in her adjustment to this life.”

 

He left his sister with an order to arrange clothing for Reagan, eager to return to his bed.  He had no pressing duties this morning, as he’d warned all of his advisors of Reagan’s coming, and that their issues would have to wait for at least a few days, unless it was a true emergency.  He intended to spend all of his time with his new queen.

 

L-----------------L--------------L------------L------------------L-----------------L---------L

 

Oberon was livid.  It could only be Galen who’d taken his daughter from her home, and her king.  She’d been gone for over half a day now.   Jareth’s exhausted guests had been questioned before being dismissed.  No one knew anything, and he was inclined to believe them.  Even if he was no longer High King, Oberon was still one of the most powerful Fae, ever.  No lesser creature wanted to anger the Fae who could easily destroy them.  By noontime the castle had been emptied of all guests. 

 

Jareth was now sequestered in his study with Haldrin and Renaud.  They were still attempting to figure out just how someone had managed to steal Reagan away.  The evidence pointed to someone Reagan trusted giving her enough Belladonna to render her unconscious, and then leaving with her.  Any number of Fae could have transported away with her, but all of the guests were accounted for, and only the guests were allowed to use magic inside the kingdom at this time.  That was why they’d believed Reagan to be protected; no one could use magic unauthorized by Jareth, and the Labyrinth.  No, far more likely was that a Dragon had simply flown away with her. 

 

Oberon needed to know who among the Dragons could go Above at will, and who had recently been gone.  It would give them a place to begin their search.  And he knew just where to go to find that out.  He loathed the very thought of brining his wife into the fold, but she would know the answers.  And if she decided not to cooperate, well, he would simply have to remind her of her place.  Much as he did still care for Titania, he would not allow one of her petty rants to interfere with finding his daughter, and getting her back before it was too late.

 

He left a note explaining where he was going, and in the blink of an eye was transported back to his own palatial estate.  There were perks to being a former High King; his retirement estate was larger than some of the Underground kingdoms.  Servants nodded respectfully, but kept their distance from the obviously angered man as he stalked through columned halls towards the wing his wife occupied. Ever the pragmatist, he’d decided long ago that the best way to keep the peace with his volatile wife was to make certain they each had their own space for private entertaining.

 

He was certain that Titania was here, as he’d ordered her to return home for the duration of this incident, rather than run off with one of her lovers.  He needed her where he could keep an eye on her.  He knew she wasn’t part of the plot to take Reagan away, as she hated Marek just as much as he did, and was only slightly more tolerant of the Dragons; she would never willingly help them.  But he didn’t doubt that she would be pleased with the girl’s disappearance, and might do whatever she could to hinder Reagan’s recovery because of jealousy.  One never knew quite what to expect of Titania’s mercurial moods, so it was best to simply keep her under observation and prepare for any outcome.

 

Titania was soaking in the bath when Oberon found her.  Her maids took one look at his countenance and immediately made themselves scarce.  Titania simply looked up at her husband and smiled mockingly.

 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, dear husband?  It’s been a long time since you’ve joined me here.”

 

“You’ve had other company, Titania. Company you found superior to my own. Which of the Dragons can travel Above freely?”

 

“Since when do you care about the Dragons, Oberon?  You had little to do with them when you were High King, surely you can have nothing to do with them now.”

 

“No games today, woman.  Reagan was taken last night.”

 

He could tell that the news surprised her.  She couldn’t hide the shock, or the jealousy that he was there for his daughter.

 

“Of course.  You’re concerned for the bastard of your mortal pet.  Why am I not surprised?  You always were more concerned about that damned mortal than your own wife.”

“The role of scorned woman doesn’t become you, Titania.”

 

She could hardly rail at him for infidelity when she was the first to take a lover.  She actually laughed at that.

 

“You don’t honestly think I’m jealous of your lovers, do you, Oberon?  As you’ve said, I’ve had plenty of my own.  But you took a mortal.  A human.  It was an insult to all common decency, to sully your powerful Fae blood with a human woman.  A woman who didn’t even want you.  She ran away at the first opportunity, didn’t she?”

 

Oberon stepped forward threateningly. He would not stand for this from his own wife.  Rebecca had been far superior to the Fae women he’d bedded.  He’d never had to wonder if the emotion he felt from Rebecca had been feigned, never had to worry about a hidden agenda with the mortal woman.  Rebecca had been the first lover in ages that he could claim to have actually cared for.

 

And now Rebecca’s daughter, his daughter, was in the clutches of a creature he wouldn’t wish even on Titania.  The Dragons were wild, savage creatures.  Their lands were barren, and desolate. They gave the appearance of men, but inside they were as untamed as their cousins.  The wars between Dragons and other Fae tended to start over Dragon actions.  They were quick to take insult at any perceived slight, and over eager for fighting.   Oberon understood that Galen was attempting to save his race as their numbers dwindled ever smaller, but that was no excuse for the atrocities committed. Over the last centuries, all Fae cities closest to the dragon lands had been razed to the ground, and at least forty Fae women (that were confirmed, who could say for certain the actual number?)  had vanished into the mountains of the Dragons, and none had been recovered.   Of all the races of the Underground, the Dragons had been the worst to deal with. 

 

“Enough of this woman!  Answer the question.  Which of the Dragons can travel Above freely?”

 

Titania seemed to realize that any patience was expended, and she was treading into dangerous territory.  She swallowed, hard, at the glint in her husband’s eye, and sat up straight, putting herself on display.  She might hate the mortal woman who’d taken so much of his attention, but she still wanted the man himself.  He was powerful, and his power kept her position secure, so long as she remained in his good graces. 

 

“The only Dragon I know of with such ability is the king’s sister, Norah. The one who also has visions of the future.”

 

Norah.  Oberon had forgotten her.  He hadn’t seen her in decades, not since—not since Rebecca left.  She’d been a good friend to Rebecca in the court, one of the only Fae to not follow Titania’s treatment of the mortal.  She could have easily gone Above when Rebecca managed to escape. 

 

An unpleasant thought occurred to him.  Norah could be behind this entire incident.  If any of her visions involved his daughter, he had no doubt that she would do whatever she felt necessary to bring them to fruition, including abducting her.  He had to speak to Jareth, immediately.

 

“Has it occurred to you that perhaps your daughter really does belong to the Dragon, Oberon?” Titania asked carefully, “Would a treaty with the Dragons not be more beneficial for us?  Consider the position you would have among them, if you supported Galen. Near-Father to the king.”

 

If they didn’t protest, if they allowed Galen to keep the girl he’d gone to such trouble to kidnap, Titania was certain they could get a guaranteed peace treaty with the Dragons out of it.  Her husband could accomplish with this one gesture what Marek hadn’t been able to do yet with all of his concessions.   Oberon was still the most influential Fae in the Underground; if he spoke to the other rulers, they would follow his lead.  Jareth would be furious, but even he could eventually be made to see that peace with the Dragons was more important than his personal feelings.

 

“Mind your words, Titania.  Reagan is bonded to Jareth, a fact that cannot be undone by Marek or Galen.  Whatever claim Galen thinks he has is immaterial.  He has declared war in this action.”

 

Titania wanted to protest, but Oberon vanished.  She huffed as she sank back into her bath.  He was being shortsighted, stubborn over that half-mortal bastard. There were ways of getting around the inconvenience of an existing bond.  Titania was certain that Galen would have a solution to that little problem.

 

She would have to do what she could behind the scenes.  This was a chance that was not likely to ever come again, and she would not allow her husband to simply ignore it because it was unpleasant to him.  A few well-placed words in the right ear would go a long way to accomplishing her goals.  It was time to call on a few friends.

 

L--------------------------L----------------------L-------------------L--------------------L----------L

 

 

Reagan woke slowly, to the feel of a hand sliding through her hair and one coming around her waist. She just wasn’t in the mood this morning, and swatted at her husband’s hand.

 

“Jareth, stop it.”

 

The hand on her waist tensed, and she drew in a sharp breath as it tightened on a bruise.  Jareth was never rough.  Overly enthusiastic on some nights, yes, but never rough. She became instantly alert at the realization that she was bruised and sore in places she shouldn’t be.  She was faced with stone wall, and instantly she knew that last night wasn’t a horrible nightmare. It wasn’t Jareth lined up against her back, freely caressing her body. It was the monster who’d spent last night trying to fuck her into submission.

 

“You will forget him, Reagan, in time.”

 

She couldn’t tell if those words were supposed to be threatening or reassuring, but when Galen’s hand drifted upward from her waist and squeezed her breast, she tried to pull away.  She couldn’t take another—she’d die before she let him near her again. 

 

“Let me go, you bastard!”

 

She couldn’t pull free of his grip as he held her against him, and she could get no leverage in kicking her legs. She slapped at the parts of him that she could reach, but to no effect.  Behind her he was immovable, well, most of him.  Certain parts of his anatomy were growing very interested in the proceedings. If she could just turn around and face him, if she could push him off of her, something…but he seemed to know what she was thinking, and instead of giving her any chance to escape he slipped a knee between her legs, spreading them enough that he could enter her from behind.  He placed a soft kiss on the back of her neck as he began slowly thrusting, entwining their hands in front of her to hold her closer to him.  His other hand continued to card through her hair in what was meant to be a soothing gesture.

 

“There will come a time when you want me as much as I want you, Reagan,” he whispered into her ear in his native tongue, even as she tried futilely to pull away from him, still cursing him.  He would have to teach her the Dragon tongue.  Endearments sounded so much better in his native language than the common tongue spoken through the Underground.

 

He was taking all possible care not to hurt her this time, to show her that he was not always a monster. He could be tender, and gentle. When she stopped fighting him, he would show her just how considerate a lover he could be.  He could feel her muscles clenching and unclenching around him as he continued his slow assault; she was beginning to respond to him.  It was simply an instinctive physical response to the stimulation of her body, but he saw it as a good sign that this time at least she would receive pleasure from their coupling.  The tears trailing down her cheek were not such a good sign, and he carefully kissed them away, and then continued his kisses across any available skin. If he closed his eyes he could almost believe that this wasn’t a rape, and it was with that fantasy in his mind that he thrust his way to his own fulfillment. 

 

He remained buried inside her, spilling his seed into her, as he released her hand and his own trailed down her body to make sure she also found release, ignoring her protests and squirming away from him.  He wanted to stay joined to her until he was sure that his seed was deep enough to take root in her womb, but slid out when his organ began to soften.  He dropped a kiss on top of her head when she winced as he moved. 

 

He held her tightly against him for a moment before sitting up and reaching for the pants he’d discarded. Norah would arrive any moment with clothes for Reagan, and he couldn’t say he wanted his sister to see him naked.  Besides, Reagan needed food, and if she was at all female, she would want to bathe after so much time had passed. His plans for the next few days did extend past bedding his queen.  She must come to accept his presence, a task that might possibly be made easier if they spent time together in a non-threatening way.

 

Once he was covered, he passed his robe onto her, and she slipped into it without complaint, eager to cover herself.  He slipped out of the bed, and returned with the tray of food.  She watched his movements warily, and it put him in mind of a wounded animal. 

 

“You must be hungry.”

 

Reagan didn’t answer him verbally, she simply shook her head.  He set the tray on the bed beside her, and joined her.  She slid across the bed until she was against the wall, and could go no further.

 

“Eat, Reagan.  I know you must be hungry.  It has been many hours since you last had any food.”

 

When he pushed the tray towards her, she pushed it back at him. Her stomach chose that moment to remind her of just how long it had been since she’d eaten, and the sound filled the room, but she still pushed it away.  She wouldn’t eat anything they offered.  She wouldn’t drink anything.  She wouldn’t do anything that might give this lunatic the idea that she could accept what he did. 

 

“Don’t be foolish, woman.  You must eat.  I’ll not see you starve yourself.”

 

This time she kicked the tray he nudged at her, and sent it sliding off the bed and onto the floor.  Galen glared at her, and she stared back at him defiantly.  It might not be the wisest course of action; fighting as opposed to cooperating, but it was the only one she could live with.  She had to hold out until Jareth found her.  She knew he would search for her, and with the threats they’d been living under recently, it wouldn’t be difficult to figure out where she was.  Jareth would come for her.  She knew it with absolute certainty.

 


	19. Chapter 19

Oberon was growing increasingly frustrated.  His daughter had been missing for nearly two weeks.  Two weeks of Marek avoiding him, and the other members of the High Court debating over the issue.  There were those who believed, like him, that the Dragons must be dealt with immediately.  Allowing the abduction of a queen from another kingdom would set a dangerous precedent.  They also agreed that Marek had given far too much to the Dragons even before this. 

 

But there were a surprising number of Fae who were of the mind that they should delay any action.  Oberon was alarmed by those, as many of them were ones whose support he’d counted on.  Their leader argued patience, and doing everything politically possible before resorting to action.  Oberon wished he could shake some sense into them.  Of course he wished to work diplomatically first. War was a last resort, not a first, but they must be prepared for the possibility that it might happen.  His words were falling onto a surprising number of deaf ears.

 

It made no sense.  Many of them weren’t even supporters of Marek’s rule, and still they defended his current inaction.  He knew most of them were very self-serving, and looked to their own interests, but these were the very people who’d enjoyed Jareth’s hospitality and acknowledged their support of him the night Reagan was taken.  There was no cause that he could see for them to change their mind so quickly. 

 

“Oberon.”

 

“Cadmus.”

 

He was surprised that the Centaur representative approached him.  The centaurs had refused to take a public position on the matter. 

 

“They are fools, the lot of them,” he gestured at the group that Oberon had only just left.  As Oberon was inclined to agree with him, he did not argue.

 

“They are far too interested in protecting their own positions at Court.  So long as Marek does not oppose the Dragon’s actions, they will not. And Marek will only act as best suits him.”

 

“You should not have retired so soon, Oberon.  It was a mistake, to make one such as Marek High King. You should have stayed, until there was a better candidate for your replacement.”

 

That thought had crossed Oberon’s mind a number of times in the last six centuries, but never more often than it had in the last weeks.  He’d been ready to retire, after millennia on the throne, but now he was regretting that this had to happen when he wasn’t on the throne.  Still, not being on the High Throne gave him the chance to work personally in this, and that was an advantage he couldn’t discount. 

 

“This will lead to war. I have no doubt about that.  If Marek does not order Reagan’s return, Jareth will move against Galen.”

 

“If war comes, we will fight it.”

 

“Is that an official answer?”

 

“It is.  Cyrus will not support the stealing of another man’s wife. His hope is that this can be solved without war, but if Marek will not act, he will lose the support of the Centaurs.”

 

That was welcome news.  He needed more such announcements, but the centaurs were definitely a good start.  They were numerous, they were powerful, and they were dangerous creatures.  Added to the fact that they had treaties with a number of the Underground kingdoms, they were powerful allies to have.  There were a number of rulers more afraid of Cyrus and his people than they were or Marek and his power.  No one would want the centaurs to turn against them.

 

“Thank you, Cadmus.  That is good news.”

 

“You should also know that if a political solution cannot be reached, Cyrus intends to call for Marek’s removal.  He has not proven to be an effective High King.”

 

Oberon wasn’t sure how he felt about that particular bit of news.  He personally thought Marek was a fool, but to remove him completely—was there a candidate for High King who would be better?  Jareth was by far the best choice (and he didn’t say that because of Jareth’s marriage to his daughter, the man was truly qualified), but as Goblin King he could never be a candidate, and he wouldn’t want the job even if it was offered.  Oberon didn’t have much confidence in any members of the High Court.  They could very well end up with someone even worse if Marek was removed. 

 

“That is Cyrus’ decision to make.  I will not try to influence him one way or the other.”

 

Cadmus looked surprised.

 

“Not even if it meant getting your daughter back?”

 

“I will do whatever is necessary to get Reagan out of Galen’s hands.  I simply meant that it is not my place to influence a call for Marek’s removal.”

 

“I understand.”

 

Oberon doubted Cadmus understood his thoughts, but did not correct him.  Let them think that he was simply concerned for the appearance of his attempts to instigate the removal of his successor. It was, after all, a valid concern.

 

“A friendly warning, Oberon, out of my king’s respect for your long service to all the Underground:  the source for this sudden change of opinion among the nobles lies in your own house.  If you hope to accomplish anything, you must address the sedition in your own home.”

 

Cadmus left him with a respectful nod, as Oberon absorbed his words in shock.  Sedition against him, in his own home? It could only be Titania.  He would deal with her, harshly, the moment he returned home.  This could not be allowed to stand.  The woman knew exactly what he was trying to accomplish, and appeared to be doing her level best to circumvent him.  She would learn her place.

 

L-----------------------L-------------------------L------------------------L-----------------------L

 

Galen was growing concerned.  Reagan was beginning to deteriorate before his very eyes. No matter how he tried to entice her to eat, she refused all food and drink.  She was attempting to starve herself, and he couldn’t force her to eat.  The last time he’d tried, she’d managed to send him flying into a wall, which now had a large crack in it from the force of the impact.  He supposed it should be some consolation that soon she would be too weak to fight him when he tried to feed her, but it should never have reached this point.

 

Fourteen days.  It felt like the blink of an eye and an eternity all at the same time.  Fourteen days spent in close quarters with a woman who openly feared him.  He’d done everything he could think of to spark her interest in her new home, but she remained stubbornly unresponsive to any overture of peace. The library was ignored, and she had no interest in the pools if he was with her.  What she was doing with her days once he finally went back to the business of running the kingdom, he didn’t know. 

 

He knew the confinement had to be wearing on her. He’d offered a tour of their apartment, and she’d absorbed every detail, until he refused to show her the exit.  However beneficial it might be for her to get out into the open air, he would not take the chance that she might try to escape.  The tunnel to the outside was always carefully guarded, so that she couldn’t get out. She seemed determined that Jareth would rescue her, and until she accepted that she was never leaving, she would remain confined to their apartment.

 

Norah fared no better, and he knew it hurt his sister.  They had been close Above, and now Reagan treated her as a stranger.  Worse, she treated her as an enemy.  All of his sister’s attempts to draw the other woman out were failures.  Reagan simply behaved as if Norah wasn’t even in the room. 

 

He’d dismissed Norah’s suggestion that Reagan be allowed to interact with some of the other Fae women who were now bonded to Dragons.  Her argument was that it could only be helpful for Reagan to see that women in a similar position to her own had settled here and were happy. She’d been Above too long. Allowing Reagan to interact with the other Fae women would be far more likely to incite all of them to attempt to revolt.

 

Galen was fully aware that many of the Fae women his men had brought into his kingdom were just as discontented as Reagan. With such a scarcity of female Dragons, his men had been forced to look outside of their own race for mates.  Few, if any, of the Fae women in his kingdom were here of their own free will. They were too afraid of the Dragons to willingly come to the country and bond with a Dragon male. The result was that many unattached women were simply taken from their country, and later, through Marek, compensation was made to their families. 

 

For centuries the other Fae kingdoms had delighted in painting the Dragons as complete savages, or worse, monsters just waiting to drag unsuspecting women off, never to be seen again.  While it was true that no woman left once she was brought, it wasn’t because his men were monsters. It was because they knew absolutely that no woman brought under duress would come back if she was allowed to return to see her family.  It was ridiculous to blame a man for not wanting his wife to leave him.  It wasn’t a sentiment unique to Dragons; no Fae male would ever allow his woman to leave.  Yet, because they were Dragons, that action made them monsters.  Why could none of the others see that they were simply trying to save their race?  If they could determine why so few females were being born and rectify that, they would. But centuries of searching by the best minds in his kingdom had yielded no answers. As it was, what other choice did they have?

 

Thoughts of children took his mind back to Reagan.  Norah had seen the children they would have, and all were female but one.  His queen was very likely pregnant now.  He could smell how very fertile Reagan was.  He continued to bed her every night, and while she still fought him, it was getting easier to coax her body into responding.  She would not give herself to him yet; it would be quite some time before he could expect her willing participation, but their coupling was far less violent than before. He was learning her body’s responses, her most sensitive areas, and the easier he was with her, the less she physically fought.   They should know within a few more weeks whether she was yet with child.

 

Thinking of Reagan……Galen glanced up at the sun.  It was high, past the noon tide; time for the midday meal.  He dismissed Warhelm and the others who were assisting with reinforcing the supports to the main Hall.  He would join Reagan for the meal, and this time he would see to it that she ate.  She was far too weak by now to toss him into a wall again.  If only she would see reason.

 

“Reagan?”

 

He entered the chamber, tray in hand, but she wasn’t there.  He set the tray on the table and walked quietly into the bedroom.  She was much more tired in her weakened state, she might be napping.  No, she wasn’t in there, either.  The guards had assured him that she hadn’t tried to leave again, so she could only be in the pools, or the small bathroom he’d installed for her.  Leave it to Fae women to be so modest about a simple bodily function that they could not utilize the communal privies (not that those would have done Reagan any good since she wasn’t leaving their apartment). 

 

“Reagan, I’ve brought food,” he called down the tunnel, so that she would be aware of his coming.  She would be less than pleased if he walked in to find her nude, and as she had no sort of bathing costume she would be completely unclothed if she was indeed in the pools.  A sharp metallic scent hit his nose as he made his way down the tunnel, and he picked up his pace.  There shouldn’t be any metallic smell. 

 

“Reagan?”

 

His concern grew to outright worry when he received no answer to his call.  She wasn’t in the pool, so he changed direction for the bathroom.  The dull thud was reason enough for him to break down the door, and he stopped in horror, taking in the sight before him. 

 

Reagan sank to the floor, a piece of metal in her hands, blood running down an arm.  The sink was filled to overflowing with water, water that was spilling over in a reddish tint.

 

“What have you done?”

 

She shrank away as he approached her, reminding him of a wounded animal.  He knelt down beside her, careful to keep his movements as soothing as possible.

 

“Reagan.”

 

He reached for her face, but she jerked her head away, and he immediately withdrew his hand.  He would not provoke her further, not in this state.  Instead, he took the metal from her (he now recognized it was a piece that belonged inside the toilet’s tank), and gently lifted her bleeding arm, using his much larger hand to apply pressure in an effort to stop the bleeding. 

 

“How can I show you the life you’ll have here with me,” he asked quietly.  “How can I do that?”

 

He expected no answer, and was unsurprised when he didn’t receive one.  He held her arm until the bleeding slowed to a trickle, then used a towel as a bandage.  When she still didn’t move, he stood to his feet, then effortlessly picked her up and carried her back to the main room.  He hid his alarm at how slight she felt, and held her closer to him.  He could not let her simply fade away from him. 

 

Still holding her, he sank down onto the couch as he called for the guards posted at the entrance, the tray within easy reach.  He wasn’t about to let her go while she was like this.  He carefully brushed the hair away from her face before he reached out for the goblet of water and brought it to her lips, silently praying that she wouldn’t fight him on this.  The relief was immense when she opened her mouth and sipped the water.  Some progress at last.  He held the goblet until he was satisfied with the amount she consumed.  When he was satisfied, he set the goblet down and reached for the meat on the tray.  After breaking off a small piece, he held it up to Reagan’s mouth, and held her in place when she tried to turn her head away.

 

“You must eat, Reagan.  I won’t let you starve yourself.”

 

His attention was drawn by the arrival of the younger Dragon who stood at attention.  Morden, he thought it was.  Warhelm had recommended the younger man, and he’d proven effective at his post.

 

“My king?”

 

“Bring Thornweld to me at once. My queen is unwell.”

 

Morden nodded once, and immediately left to fulfill his task.  Galen returned his attention to getting Reagan to eat.  She still refused to accept the food from his hand, and he reminded himself not to show anger.  She was weak, she was ill, and she was already frightened of him.  He could not let his temper get the better of him now. 

 

Deciding to take another route, he dipped his head down and kissed her.  He held on when she weakly tried to push away, holding her mouth captive until she was in danger of running out of air.  When he finally released her, and she opened her mouth to breathe, he pushed the piece of meat inside and firmly clamped a hand over her mouth so she couldn’t spit it back out at him.

 

“Eat, Reagan. Please.”

 

He kept his hand clamped over her mouth until he felt her chew and swallow.  He reached for another piece of meat, and when she again tried to pull away he leaned down, and she jerked violently.

 

“I cannot sit by and watch you starve, Reagan.  You can either eat of your own volition, or we will repeat this process as long as necessary.”

 

He didn’t care for the trembling that set in as he couldn’t keep the anger out of his tone.  Why could she not see that all he did was from care for her?  She opened her mouth and allowed him to feed her. It would be gratifying to have her take the food from his hand, could he not see the fear plain in her eyes. 

 

“I can feed myself,” she protested after she finished the bite and he a small piece of bread out to her.

 

“Considering how weak you are at this moment I take leave to doubt that.  Eat.”

 

Reagan said nothing further as Galen continued to feed her.  She wanted it to be over, and Galen to be gone.  Damn him for coming in before she could finish what she started.  She couldn’t wait here for Jareth to come for her.  Not when it would take—if he could have come without starting a war he would have already been here, and she would be home.  No, her continued presence here meant that someone (most likely Marek) was doing their best to delay a censure from the High Court that would give Jareth the ability to come for her without repercussion.  God only knew how long that could drag out.  As Jareth had told her once, decades seemed the blink of any eye for immortals.  For all she knew, they might really take decades to make any decision, and she just would not stay here that long. 

 

This place was making her physically sick.  The nausea hit every day when she woke, and recurred intermittently throughout the day.  She was sure it was only the absence of food in her body that kept her from throwing up.  And the headaches….they were growing steadily worse, and this prison was leeching away all of her energy.  She honestly felt that if she didn’t escape soon, she would die here, and if she was going to die anyway, then she would do it on her own terms.

 

She could only barely summon the energy to look up when she heard another enter the room.  She didn’t recognize this man, no doubt another of Galen’s lackeys.  Why couldn’t they all just leave her the hell alone?  She didn’t understand the words flying between the two men, but she tensed when they both turned their undivided attention to her, and she wished she could at least sit up under the scrutiny.

 

“May I examine your injury, my lady?” 

 

The words were heavily accented, and it took a moment to make sense of them.  Once she figured out what he wanted, she wordlessly held out her arm.  He took it in both hands, one pressing lightly close to the bandaged wound, humming to himself.  She grew alarmed when she felt a tingling, and warmth, the entire length of her arm, and she tried to pull away.

 

“It is healing, my lady.  You must remain still.”

 

She didn’t like this strange man touching her. Especially not when she was beginning to feel tired, and it didn’t feel normal.  It felt like he was trying to put her to sleep.

 

“You should rest, milady.  You are safe here. All will be well.”

 

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the disorientation, but she just couldn’t do it.  Against her will, her eyes closed, and she was asleep in Galen’s arms.

 

“She is particularly strong willed, your queen,”  Thornweld commented to Galen once the woman was asleep, her arm almost completely healed.  “I wish to examine her further, with your consent, Galen.”

 

Galen looked to the older Dragon, one of the very few who could escape protocol and get away with treating him so familiarly, in alarm.  Was something else wrong with Reagan?  Why should the healer want a further examination? 

 

“I do not believe it is serious, Galen, but she looks to be utterly exhausted, not to mention undernourished. I wish to make sure there has been no real harm.”

 

“She refused any food. Today was the first time since she came that I’ve been able to get her to eat,” Galen confessed as he lifted the sleeping woman and carried her into the bedroom, laying her out on the bed.  He sat with her as Thornweld hovered over her, his hands slowly sliding over her body.  He hovered momentarily over her abdomen, before continuing on.

 

“You must not allow her to go so long without eating, Galen.  It is most unhealthy for her and the child.”

 

His head snapped up at that.

 

“She is with child?  You are certain?”

 

Thornweld nodded.  Galen felt a great rush of relief.  Reagan carried his child.  Now she must accept her place at his side.  Jareth must give up his efforts to take her away from him again.

 

“I cannot tell how far along she is, Galen,”  Thornweld cautioned him, “It may be that she was with child before you brought her here.”

 

“Impossible.”

 

“You know that for certain?”

 

“She carries my child. Not Jareth’s.”

 

It was inconceivable that the child could be the Goblin King’s.  It must be his. 

 

Thornweld watched his king, concern evident in his face.  Having been a close friend of the previous king, he’d known Galen the boy’s entire life.  He knew how invested Galen was in having Reagan as his queen, but he must face reality as it was, not as Norah saw it.  His queen was wife to another man.  She could have conceived before she was ever removed from the Goblin kingdom. 

 

“I cannot know for certain until the birth.  You must keep her healthy until then.”

 

Galen nodded absently, stroking Reagan’s hair, until Thornweld’s words sank in.  How was he to keep her, and their child, healthy for months until the birth?    He could not keep her healthy now.  She’d tried to take her own life.   He feared that even this pregnancy would not be enough to keep her from another attempt.  He could not keep her chained to the bed.

 

“The potion Marek gave me.  Would it harm the child?”

 

“You can’t be serious, Galen.”

 

Thornweld was looking at him, an expression of horror on his face. Galen understood the sentiment.  He felt sick merely contemplating actually using the potion Marek had given him.  It was deception of the worst sort, altering Reagan’s memories.  It would be a mental rape, and the worst of it was that it meant that he was giving up on Reagan coming to her senses.   

 

“Will it harm the child?”

 

“I do not believe so,” Thornweld answered hesitantly, “but consider carefully what you’re doing, Galen.  If anything should trigger a real memory, it will fail, and she will know exactly what you’ve done to her.”

 

He would simply have to accept that risk.  It was the only solution, as far as he could see.  Leaving Reagan for the moment, he knelt down by his trunk, and began to rifle through the contents.  He’d placed the vial inside, never imagining once that he would have to resort to it.  Once she drank this, all of her memories would be blocked, and he would be able to fashion whatever memories he liked of an entire lifetime together. 

 

Finally finding it, he freed it from its confines of clothing and rejoined Thornweld and his queen. 

 

“Reconsider what you’re about to do, Galen,” Thornweld warned, “This is not a wise idea.”

 

“Leave us, Thornweld.”

 

The elder Dragon snorted, but left as he was ordered, his warnings filling the room.  Galen stripped them both of their clothing, then slid into the bed, carefully rearranged Reagan so that she was lying against him, pillowed against his chest.  This was powerful magic; they would need to be as physically connected as possible for the spell to work, and to minimize the chance for error.  He carefully shook Reagan until he could feel her waking against him, and unplugged the stopper from the vial.  He silenced his conscience with the knowledge that as soon as this night, Reagan would give herself to him willingly.

 

“Drink, Reagan.  Thornweld said that it will rid the last of the pain from your body.”

 

It worked in his favor that she was not awake enough to protest, or question, and he was easily able to place the vial against her lips and tip it so that the potion slid into her mouth.  With the simple reflex of a swallow, the deed was accomplished, and Galen held her even tighter to him, weaving memories easily as he shifted so that she was beneath him, his manhood already seeking entrance to her body.  She pushed against him briefly, and he tangled their hands together as he sank into her.  This would be the last time she attempted to refuse him.  Once this was completed, they would be what they were supposed to be to each other.


	20. Chapter 20

_Mismatched eyes stared angrily at her, as his hands held too tightly onto her arms.  His wild hair flew in every direction as he practically floated, pulling her with him.  His grip was too strong, she couldn’t break it, and he was dragging her away from her home.  She couldn’t understand his words, but the threat was implicit.  Why wouldn’t he just let her go?_

_“You’re mine, Reagan.”_

Reagan sat straight up in the bed, her scream dying in her throat.  It was just a dream, a nightmare.  She was safe.  Her hand came to rest on her gently rounding stomach as she tried to calm her pounding heart.   Beside her, Galen stirred from his sleep.

 

“What’s wrong, Reagan?”

 

“Nothing,” she answered too quickly.  She didn’t want to worry him. 

 

“The nightmare again?” he asked as he sat up and pulled her into his arms.  She let herself sink into the comfort he offered as she started shaking.  She’d had the same nightmare of this stranger trying to abduct her every night for the past four months, and she was exhausted, and afraid.  Who was this villain, and what did he want with her? 

 

“I don’t understand it, Galen.  What does he want with me, that he invades my dreams?”

 

“It’s alright, my love.  You’re safe here.  You know I’ll never let anyone hurt you.” 

 

He continued to murmur soothingly against her hair until he felt the shaking begin to subside.  They sat for several long minutes, until Reagan finally felt she could close her eyes and not relive the dream.  This couldn’t be good for the baby.  She closed her eyes as she lay down, and felt Galen pull her to him.

 

It was some time before her breathing evened out, and Galen knew that she fell asleep. He continued to watch her, concerned.  Jareth was still trying to reach her through her dreams, he was sure.  He wanted to destroy the man.  Reagan was his:  his queen, his lover, the mother of his child.  His.  Jareth could not have her.

 

“You won’t have her,” he said softly, as if the other Fae could hear him. 

 

J--------------J-----------j----------J-----------j------------J----------j-------------J------------j

 

Oberon stalked down the halls of the palace, determination written on every line of his face, his retinue keeping pace easily behind him.  He’d given Marek months to come to his senses, but the High King was instead surrounding himself with his sycophants who encouraged the lunacy.  He believed that his position protected him, having forgotten just how transient power really was.  It was time to bring that to an end.

 

“The High King is indisposed at this time, Your Majesty.”

The guard attempting to block his entrance into the great hall looked apologetic, but set to follow his orders.  Oberon remembered this one: he’d come to the High Court only months before Oberon chose to retire.  Six centuries, and the man was still in the same position?  He dismissed the concern from his mind: he had far more important things to worry about than the advancement-or lack of- of an underling.  With barely a flick of his wrist, the younger Fae was forcibly removed from his post, invisible hands pinning him to a column.  The doors opened seemingly of their own volition and he strode in, shocking those inside with his presence.

 

“What is the meaning of this, Oberon?”  Marek asked insolently from his throne. 

 

Oberon looked behind him to Cadmus, who nodded and stepped forward, unrolling a scroll.

 

“Marek, Former High King of the Fae,”  a stir among the courtiers momentarily silenced the booming centaur, and Marek straightened in his seat, “You stand accused of colluding in the illegal actions of Galen, King of the Dragons, against Jareth, King of the Goblins, and his queen, Reagan, Daughter of Oberon.  These actions, which mount to a declaration of war between Goblin and Dragon, and by extension all of the Fae, include abducting the bonded Queen of the Goblins, hiding the perpetrator behind the protection of your office, and preventing all lawful attempts to rescue said queen.  Having shown complete disregard for the rights of your people and the welfare of the kingdoms in these actions, you are herewith stripped of your Crown, and banished from the High Court by unanimous vote of the High Council.  You have one hour to collect your possessions and remove yourself.”

 

The outburst from those in the room was cacophonous, and Marek was the most vocal of them all.  He shot from his seat and down the steps of the dais until he was standing toe to toe with Oberon.

 

“How dare you! You would risk the safety of the kingdoms over this half human girl?!”

 

“That half human girl is my daughter, Marek, a fact you would be wise to remember.  And you threaten the safety of the kingdoms in sanctioning this abduction in the first place.  You brought this on yourself, and none of us are willing to let the Underground fall into more chaos. The decision is final.”

 

“You can’t remove me, Oberon.  Not even the High Council can remove a king when there is no designated successor.”

 

“The High Council has already designated your successor, which they are well within their rights to do in light of your offenses.  Your hour is waning, Marek.”

 

The younger Fae glared, but with the power of the High Council behind Oberon, there was nothing he could do to stop this travesty.  The older Fae couldn’t, or wouldn’t, see what he was trying to accomplish.  Oberon simply stared at him, the look on his face almost daring the other man to try something further.  Cadmus, standing directly behind Oberon, also looked as if he wished for some violence.  Marek wouldn’t give the centaur the satisfaction. 

 

“You can’t declare war on the Dragons, Oberon.  Removing me will not change that fact.  And since none of your High Council will accept the Dragons here, you must accept the fact that your daughter is gone.”

 

He stopped himself from smirking, just in time.  He was sure that Oberon wouldn’t feel it necessary to show restraint in light of that insult. Indeed, he could see the older man’s hands balling into fists at his sides.

 

“Get him out of here.”

 

Marek was forced into moving when two guards took him by the arms and escorted him from the chamber.  The chaos that had only barely died down as the two kings faced off erupted a second time, with demands by the courtiers to know who was replacing the disgraced king.  They fell quiet when Haldrin stepped into the room, and those who’d just deposed Marek stepped out of his way respectfully, not stopping him when he stepped up to the dais and took his seat on the throne. Realization sank in among the crowd when Oberon bowed before the Elf, and they immediately followed suit.  No one wanted to be found guilty of insulting the new High King.

 

J--------j----------J---------j------------J----------j-----------J----------j---------J--------j---------J

 

Reagan covered Galen’s eyes with her hands, stretching on her toes to do so.

 

“Guess who?”

 

The Dragon grinned as he pulled her hands down and turned around to face her.

 

“How did you get in here?”

 

He’d left her well occupied with Norah in the great hall.  Reagan had recently decided that the hall needed to be updated to be more accommodating and inviting to their guests, and he’d placed the renovations in her hands.  She’d also redone their apartment, enlisting the help of rather bemused guards to enlarge it so that there was room for a nursery.  The expansion had been easy, requiring no more than removing a wall that had been placed only a few decades before.  The rest of it—well, she needed something to keep her busy during the days as he saw to the running of the kingdom. 

 

“I transported myself here.  I told you I could do it.”

 

He thought the cocky grin on her face was absolutely adorable.  Her training had begun in earnest almost immediately, and she was flourishing in her new control of her abilities. His queen was one of the most powerful Halflings he’d ever heard of. 

 

“I had no doubt of it, love.  You can accomplish anything you wish to.”

 

He bent his head and captured her lips in a kiss.  Now that she was a willing participant in their coupling, they couldn’t spend enough time together to satisfy Galen.  He cursed the fact that they were so far from their apartment. There was really no place else they could go that would give them the privacy he desired.

 

They were interrupted by the appearance of Warhelm.  Galen gritted his teeth and tried not to curse as he turned to face the older Dragon.  It must be important if the man left the High Court.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Marek has been deposed.”

 

“What?!”

 

“Haldrin has been named High King.  They’re coming for her.”

 

Galen turned back to his queen.  This was the worst possible news.  The look of horror on her face mirrored his own. 

 

“When?”

 

“They cannot be far behind me.”

 

“Reagan, go back to our apartment, and keep yourself there.”

 

“What’s going on?  Who’s coming for me Galen?”

 

“Please, Reagan, just do as I say!  Hide yourself in our apartment, and come out for no one but me.”

 

“Not until you tell me what’s going on! Why would anyone depose the High King, and why would the new one come after me?”

 

Galen grabbed her hands and held them tightly.  He didn’t have the time to reassure his queen that everything would be well.  He must prepare for the arrival of the new High King, and no doubt Jareth would be with him.  He had to keep Reagan safe.

 

“Reagan.  For the sake of our child, do as I say.  I’ll explain later, you have my word.  Now go!”

 

She disappeared immediately, and Galen turned his attention back to his representative.

 

“If they want a war, they’ll get one.”

 

He would not give up his queen. 

 

J-------j------J-----j-----J----j----------J

 

Jareth paced furiously.  Haldrin had allowed him to accompany the group that went to Galen only on the condition that he not say or do anything to the Dragon.  This was ridiculous!  Reagan was here, somewhere, and Haldrin was in conference with the man!  Gods only knew what his wife had gone through here, and now, when they were so close to rescuing her, his brother-in-law wanted a discussion! 

 

He knew he wasn’t being completely fair.  Haldrin had no knowledge of exactly where Reagan was being held, so it wasn’t as if he could simply storm the stronghold and take her out. And they really should attempt to settle this without a war between the lands.  But hadn’t they already reached the end of that line?  The damned Dragon hadn’t even denied abducting Reagan! He claimed that Reagan was here of her own free will!

 

It was the most ridiculous claim Jareth had ever heard.  Reagan had given her vows to him, without coercion, and she’d been happy enough.  He knew how seriously she took her vows; she wouldn’t just abandon them to go to another. Jareth wanted to end the man, saving the Dragon race be damned.  They would have to find some other way to save themselves. 

 

The angry snort of the dragon above brought a new idea to the Goblin king.  If they couldn’t go in to get Reagan, maybe they could convince her to come out to them?  He transported himself topside to see Draco snarling at a green dragon.  He couldn’t immediately tell if it was a regular dragon or a shifter, but either way, Draco didn’t seem too impressed.  The white dragon had become almost unmanageable in the months that Reagan had been gone.  Jareth was no Caller; he couldn’t communicate mentally with the animal, and the strain of trying to make themselves understood was wearing on both of them. 

 

“Draco!” 

 

The white dragon stopped snarling at the other, and turned his head to indicate he’d heard the Fae.

 

“Can you tell if Reagan is close?”

 

A single snort came from Draco’s nose as he kept his attention on the green dragon.  That was a yes then.  If Jareth was interpreting the dragon’s mood correctly, that was an ‘of course I can you dumbass’, as Reagan would have said.

 

“Call her.  Let her know you’re here.”

 

If Draco could make contact with Reagan, if she could tell him where she was, Jareth could pop in and transport her out without Galen even knowing until it was too late.  It would be the easiest solution by far, and it would avoid the bloodshed of a war. He was not leaving without his wife.

 

J------j--------J--------j--------J-------j

 

Reagan paced the length of the main room.  What was keeping Galen so long?  Why were these people after her to begin with?  She’d never met the former High King, let alone the new one. What could he possibly want with her?  She didn’t understand any of it.

 

She rubbed her stomach as she paced.  The child was kicking up quite a storm today. It was as if it also knew that something was terribly wrong.  Galen was certain she carried a girl, but Reagan believed it was a boy, as active as it was.  She’d like a son.  A boy with Galen’s eyes.  A girl could come later.  Galen could have all the girls he wanted, as long as she had a son who looked like his father. As much as they needed female children here, they needed an heir to the throne as well. 

 

The assault on her mind was unexpected.  She froze when she felt the presence of another.  This one felt familiar, which puzzled her.  She’d never shared her mind with anyone before.  It wasn’t one of her talents.  Closing her eyes, she tried to force the intruder out.  It must be the man from her nightmares, come to try to carry her away.  She must not let him find her.

 

It was a strange cry in her mind.  It didn’t feel like any Fae she’d ever known.  It felt almost animal.  Even as she ran further into the tunnels, as far in as she could possibly go, she wondered at this.  The darkness of the pools made her feel safer.  Surely she would be protected here.  Still, her curiosity was piqued, and she couldn’t resist answering the plaintive cry.

 

_“Why are you so sad?”_

 

An instant later, she was out of the tunnel, standing on the surface.  Fear filled her, freezing her into immobility.  She had not transported herself out of the safety of the apartment.  No one had transported in and grabbed her.  Someone had been able to move her from one place to the next without any physical contact. 

 

“Reagan.”

 

She knew that voice.  She heard it every night in her nightmares.  She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the devil that haunted her standing in front of her. 

 

“Reagan, love, please look at me.”

 

Why did he call her ‘love’?  She didn’t know him.  She gathered herself, to transport back to the cavern, but hesitated for only a split second.  If he could take her out of the most secure place in their apartment, he could take her from anywhere.  No place was truly safe as long as he was in her kingdom, and she couldn’t force him to leave.  He could simply follow her anywhere she might go.  The moment’s hesitation was all that was needed for him to gently grasp her chin and direct her eyes to his, eyes that flew open at the physical contact.

 

“Thank the gods you’re safe.”

 

“Get away from me!”

 

He let her go, retracting his gloved hand as if burned.  Hurt filled those unmistakable mismatched eyes. 

 

“Reagan—“

 

“What do you want from me?  Why can’t you leave me in peace?!”

 

She was certain that this Fae was the reason for the invasion of the kingdom by the High King.  He was the reason she no longer felt safe even inside her own home.  And he dared to stand before her professing relief that she was safe? As if she was unsafe in her own home?  He dared feel hurt that she wished him away from her after all he’d done to torment her for months?  She backed away as he stepped closer to her, a hand outstretched.  She backed up until she ran into something solid, and she turned around to see a fully grown white dragon behind her.

 

_“You don’t know Fae?  Dragon blocked your mind?”_

Oh dear Lord.  The dragon was the one in her head? She knew that mental voice, without a doubt.

 

_“Draco?”_

 

She felt the creature’s concern, the instant before she slid to the ground clutching her head in agony.  She felt as if she was being torn in two, as memories flooded into her. It was as if a dam had broken, and everything rushed through with the force of a tsunami: Cole; running the labyrinth; staying with Jareth; finding the egg that hatched into Draco; marrying Jareth after Galen threatened to take her by force.  It was too much.  Draco’s head slid under her arms, gently lifting her to her feet.  She flung her arms tightly around him as he settled her on his back, and they shot off into the air.

 


	21. Chapter 21

Jareth reached the castle in record time. 

“Reagan!”

He received no answer to his call, and quickly started a search of the building.  She was not in the throne room, nor their suite, not even in the tower. 

“Draco!”

The dragon would be able to hear him anywhere on the castle grounds, or in the Goblin City.  And he would be able to hear any answer, yet he heard no response.  Had that blasted dragon really just flown off with his wife, and dared take her somewhere else?  He was going to skin that animal when next he saw him.

“Reagan!”

He sank onto the chaise as he realized that while Reagan might be free of Galen’s clutches, she had not returned to him.  Where could she have gone?  He could not feel her anywhere in his kingdom.  Where would the dragon have taken her?  Why would she not return to him?

“Jareth.”

He looked up as a crystal floated into his view.  Reagan?  Not Reagan.  Saoirse.  He carefully reached out and grasped it, pulling it to him.

“Reagan is missing,” he informed her without preamble, “Draco flew with her out of the Dragon lands, but she’s not here.  I don’t even know where to begin searching for her.”

“She’s here.”

He was stopped mid-rant by her simple declaration.  Reagan was safe?

“She’s with you?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll come immediately.”

“No!”

He stilled. How could she expect him not to come to his wife?  After so many months of her gone missing? High Queen or not, no one was keeping him from seeing with his own eyes that Reagan was safe.

“Saoirse, if you try to stop me—“

“She doesn’t want to see you now, Jareth.”

That stopped him in his tracks. Reagan didn’t want to see him?  But—he knew she remembered him.  He saw the recognition in her eyes, before she took off with Draco. 

“She’s much changed, Jareth.  She’s asked for time to be alone, before you come.  I will call you when she is ready to see you.”

“Saoirse---“

“Please, Jareth.  Leave this to me.  Give her the time she asks. She is perfectly safe here at Court.  Not even Galen would dare try to take her from here.”

“Very well.”  He would honor her wishes, for the moment.  “You will keep me informed as to her welfare.” 

An order, not a request.  He would give Reagan the time she believed she needed, but he would not be kept in ignorance.  If he was not to see her, he must know how she was doing.  Saoirse nodded her agreement, and he let the crystal dissolve.  Reagan would be safe in the High Court.

L-------------L--------------L---------------L-------------L

The summons came nearly two weeks later.  Jareth had never had to practice so much patience as he did in that time, and more than once he very nearly violated his agreement to stay away, wanting nothing more than to go to the High Court and bring her home.  The moment he received the crystal, he took to the air.  Transporting himself would be faster, but he wanted the time to calm his raging thoughts.  He had to get himself under control before he saw her.

He was admitted into the High Court without a murmur of objection, and quickly escorted to his sister’s apartment.  He found her seated in the parlor, a number of ladies in waiting surrounding her.  She dismissed them all the moment she saw her brother. 

“Jareth.”

“You said she wished to see me?”

“She asked for you.  I’ll take you to her now.”

He followed her down the hallways of the private residential wing.  Jareth was only vaguely familiar with this section of the palace, having spent little time in the Court, and certainly not enough time groveling to Marek to be invited to the royal apartments.  He could not bring himself to regret that ignorance. They came to a stop in front of a door, and Saoirse stopped before opening it.

“Be careful with her, Jareth.  She has been through much.”

She pushed the door open and stepped back, allowing her brother to enter, before pulling it closed again.  Jareth stepped inside to find himself in a sitting room not unlike Reagan’s rooms before they married.  She was seated in a rocking chair, before the fire roaring in the fire place.  There was another chair across from her, and Jareth took his seat in it.

“She was my friend,” Reagan began without preamble, and Jareth stilled the hand he reached out for her. 

“She was my closest friend when I was in Charleston.  I’d known her for years.  So when I saw her here, I trusted her.  And she drugged me, and then stole me from my home.”

“Reagan.”

His heart broke hearing her statement.  He had his explanation for how she was taken from their home, but he could not but feel the pain of the betrayal she must have felt.  It could only be Galen’s sister that she spoke of.  How long had they been planning her abduction? 

“I am so sorry, Reagan.”

“Galen—Galen claimed that I was meant to be his.  That Norah had foreseen it, and I was his rightful queen.  He honestly believed that.  I was supposed to be HIS wife and the mother of his children, regardless of what choice I made.”

Jareth was seized with a fresh desire to kill the Dragon.  The words she didn’t say were as telling as those she did.  If Galen believed she was his, he very likely forced her into his bed, reawakening the nightmares she had periodically suffered.  If Jareth was to meet Galen again, the man would not survive the encounter.

He wanted to take Reagan home, and hide her away from the rest of the world.  To keep her safe, and protected.  She’d suffered far more than any person should be asked to suffer, and for no reason other than a fool’s desperate grasp at a dream. 

“Come home, Reagan.  Come with me, and put this behind you.”

“I can’t put it behind me.  Galen—he did something to alter my memories.  It wasn’t enough that the bastard raped my body, he raped my mind as well.”

She looked him in the eye, for the first time since he entered the room, and the despair and confusion he saw in hers nearly crushed him.  He would give anything to remove that look from her face.

“I have memories of an entire lifetime with him, Jareth.  A life here, Underground, with him.  Loving him.  Memories of a life I never lived, so that I can no longer decipher what’s real from what he made me believe was real.”

She choked on a sob, and Jareth left his chair to kneel beside her and cradle her face with his hand.  No wonder Saoirse had warned him to be careful of her.  She’d been through a worse hell than he’d even imagined.

“None of that matters, Reagan.  You are still my wife.  Come home with me, and I’ll show you what’s real.”

She shook her head, taking his hand as she did so and sliding it down to her stomach.  His gut clenched as he felt the hard roundness; the change from the smooth planes of her body that he knew so well, that said that she was with child. 

“The Healer said that I’m four months gone.  I don’t know whose child this is, Jareth, and I won’t know until after it’s born.  I can’t come back to you, asking you to take another man’s child.  And I can’t come back only to have to leave you again, if it’s not yours. Saoirse has said that I am welcome to stay here, or that it might be possible to let me go back Above.”

Sending her Above—No.  He wouldn’t allow it.  He didn’t care if the child she carried wasn’t his; that would be dealt with after the birth. She was still his wife, no matter what she’d been through. He wasn’t going to send her away as if she was disgraced, or leave her here to live out her life apart from him.

“You’re coming home with me. Reagan.  I care not if the child is mine; your home is with me.”

 “I can’t do that to you, Jareth.  If it’s not yours—you’re King.  You can’t have an heir that’s not your blood.”

He threw caution to the wind and pulled her into his arms.  He’d missed her terribly all those months she was gone.  He ached to have her back by his side, and he would show her that if he could.  She tensed, so he loosened his hold, but did not let her pull away from him.  He would force nothing, but he wouldn’t let her run away. 

“Reagan, love, this child could very well be mine.  After all, you were my wife before Galen took you.  And it could just as easily be a daughter as a son, in which case it would be irrelevant.  Even if it is a boy, and not mine, we can always have another: we have an eternity for children.”

Leaning back slightly, he could see the uncertainty in her eyes.  He felt sure that she _wanted_ to come home; he just needed to nudge her in that direction.

“Come home to me, Reagan.  Surely you don’t want to leave Marley with only the goblins for company any longer than absolutely necessary, do you?”

A smile, as he’d hoped to achieve.  It wasn’t a full smile, and it was there only fleetingly, but he saw it, and that was what mattered. 

“Jareth—“

“Hear me, Reagan.  No matter what the monster has put you through, or what happened as a result, you are still my wife.  I still care deeply for you, and that will not change because of events that were not of your making.  Come home.”

At her nod, he released her and stepped to the door, calling for one of the servants he knew roamed the halls.  The Fae woman appeared immediately, and Jareth sent her to retrieve his sister.  He wasn’t willing to wait and give Reagan time to change her mind.  Only a few minutes later, Saoirse stepped into the room. 

“We’re going home, Saoirse.”

His sister looked to the woman in the chair, who just nodded at her.  The look Jareth gave her suggested that any objection would be considered unwise. She simply nodded her acceptance.

“I’ll have your things packed, and—“

“We’re leaving now,” Jareth interrupted her.  She opened her mouth to object, but took in the look on her brother’s face, and the objection died.  Instead she pushed into the room, to give Reagan a tight embrace.

“Should you need anything at all, Reagan, you know how to reach me.”

“Thank you, Saoirse.  For everything you’ve done.”

Reagan watched the other woman embrace Jareth quickly, and issue some sort of warning before leaving.  She wanted to call Saoirse back, to say that she’d changed her mind about the entire thing, but Jareth was right.  It was time to go home.  She couldn’t hide out here forever, and she didn’t want to stay any place Galen could enter.  She was relatively certain that her decision to not tell Jareth that the Dragon’s sister had already attempted to see her was the correct one.  Home was protected by the Labyrinth:  Galen couldn’t even enter the maze’s boundaries.

“Are you ready, Reagan?”

“Yes. Let’s go home.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The moment they reappeared in the throne room of the castle, she was pounced on by Marley.  She picked up the squirming animal as he tried to climb her dress, and bathed her face with his tongue.  Months of separation only made the dog more determined to cover every inch of her, regardless of her half-hearted attempts to push him away. 

“Alright, boy, down you go.”

As soon as she said the words, Jareth removed the animal and set him down on the floor.  He soon disappeared into the melee, as the goblins crowded as close as they dared to see that “Queeny” was indeed back. Jareth’s glare at them was enough to ensure that they kept a respectful distance, but not much more than that.  The throne room was filled with a cacophony of voices as they all spoke to each other, some yelling over the din of the clucking chickens.  Jareth watched his wife closely as she inched even closer to his side.

“Reagan?”

“Sorry. I’m just really tired,” she glanced up at him apologetically before looking away.

Needing no further encouragement, he escorted her from the throne room, Marley trailing close behind them.  The walk through the castle seemed to revive her a bit, which he took as a positive sign.  They were silent as they roamed the halls, but the silence wasn’t stilted or uncomfortable.  Jareth stopped short when he reached their chamber door.  After everything she’d been through with Galen…he should have thought that she might wish for her old room.  She might not want any close contact with him at present.

“If you wish, I can have your old suite made ready for you—should you wish to sleep alone, that is.”

“Thank you for that.  But I don’t think that it would be any easier to be alone than to be with you.  And I’d rather not—our room is fine.”

He pushed the door open and allowed her to precede him.  She immediately headed for the bedroom, but Marley beat her and jumped up onto the bed before she could reach it.  Jareth stood in the doorway, watching her as she pulled down the cover and sank into the mattress.

“I’m sorry, Jareth,” he heard her say barely above a whisper as she curled onto her side, and he immediately joined her.

“Don’t be sorry, Reagan.”

“I don’t know why I’m so tired all the time.”

“Perhaps you simply need the rest to heal.  It is nothing to apologize for.  Sleep now, Reagan.”

Her eyes closed, and in only a few minutes her breathing evened out, and he knew she’d fallen asleep.  A chair materialized behind him, and he sank into it, watching his wife sleep.  He might have her home with him, at last, but he knew in his gut that he would have a long and terrible road ahead of him before she was fully healed of her time with the Dragon.

 

 

 


	22. Chapter 22

_“Wake up, silly Fae!!”_

Reagan jerked awake at the sound of Draco in her head.  She’d dozed off after lunch, much as she had nearly every day since coming back.  She was just so tired, and she didn’t understand why.  Surely that couldn’t be normal five months in?  She didn’t remember any of her friends Above having this problem as their pregnancies progressed. 

“I’m awake, you brat.”

She blinked sleepily, surprised to find that she was outside for a change.  When did she—oh yes, she’d joined Jareth for lunch outside, as the goblins were turning the castle upside down in their cleaning frenzy.  Sylvan had come the day before, and was happily taking over the management of the household that Reagan just couldn’t summon the energy for.  She really appreciated Sylvan’s coming; the woman was a godsend. The unfortunate side effect of such a major cleaning was that Reagan really couldn’t stand to be inside the castle, as the dust and cleaning products just made her feel ill.  Jareth had apparently left her to fall asleep in the hammock swing. 

Draco leaned over her, his head only inches away from her own.  He’d grown so much in the months she’d been gone; he was now a full-sized dragon.    He couldn’t stay in the castle anymore.  But he seemed happy enough to make his home in the large hall Jareth had built for him.  It was as close to a cave as he was going to find in the Goblin Kingdom.  Fortunately, he no longer had any trouble carrying her when he flew (and Jareth didn’t need to know about those excursions).

“I’m awake.”

She pushed up to a sitting position, stretching as she did so.  Marley barked at her, and it was only then that she noticed the little goblin that’d been playing with her dog.  So, Jareth hadn’t left her completely alone after all.  She was oddly touched by that. 

“Queeny’s awake!”

The goblin disappeared with a pop, reappearing only moments later.  Reagan wondered where this creature had been hiding. She was certain she’d remember seeing it before:  it looked like nothing so much as a greenish-brown Butterball turkey.  It was definitely one of the less offensive goblins she’d come across, if not the cutest.  She quite liked the goblins, for the most part, but some of them were truly unappealing and offensive creatures.  She knew they couldn’t help it, and she didn’t try to avoid them, it was just simple fact. 

His appearance was followed by Sylvan’s, who joined the younger woman on the converted swing.  Reagan was surprised.  She’d expected Jareth to come running once he knew she was awake.  He’d hovered over her like a fussy mother hen since she’d come home (a fact that was appreciated, but incredibly annoying).  She certainly wasn’t expecting her mother-in-law to come out for her.

“I love what you’ve done with the gardens, Reagan.  They are quite peaceful,” Sylvan commented after a minute’s silence.

“Unfortunately, I had nothing to do with it.  This is all Jareth’s work.”

After spending so much time trapped in a cave, Reagan had taken to spending as much time outdoors as possible.  Jareth had gone to great lengths to create a space she could enjoy, and find a sanctuary, while still staying close to the castle.  Much of the labyrinth was far too dark for her tastes, and other portions too far from the safety of the castle.  The end result:  a new flower garden designed to delight the senses and provide a place of quiet relaxation. 

“He was quite changed when you disappeared. We were all greatly relieved when you came back to him; there were times I worried he might very well just declare war and go after you.”

Reagan didn’t know what to answer to that, so she stayed silent.  Sylvan didn’t seem to require an answer, anyway.

“Jareth mentioned you’ve been quite fatigued lately.  Are you feeling well, my dear?”

Reagan shook her head. There was no point in lying about what the woman could clearly see for herself if she chose to look.

“I’m constantly exhausted.  Is that normal for Fae pregnancies?”

“I would imagine that Fae pregnancies are much like mortal pregnancies:  no two are precisely the same.  If it truly worries you, we can have a Healer visit.  They may be able to prescribe something to help.  But any child of Jareth’s is bound to cause as much trouble as he can, starting with the earliest opportunity.  My son is one of the most mischievous Fae I’ve ever encountered.”

“He’s your stepson, isn’t he?”

“I claimed him as my own long ago.  I have been married to his father for nearly four thousand years.  He is as much my son as Melot is.”

“Four thousand? I can’t imagine.”

Four thousand years.  Reagan couldn’t begin to comprehend spending that much time with someone.  She was still having trouble adjusting to the fact that she wouldn’t be dead of old age in seventy years.  She couldn’t imagine four thousand years at Jareth’s side.  Or Galen’s, if it turned out that this child was Dragon.  Reagan shuddered to think that there might be a possibility she could be forced to go back to that monster.

“The centuries tend to pass quickly, for the most part.  Of course, there are times when I would cheerfully hit Renaud over the head with a vase, but they are fewer in number as the years go.  I’m sure it will be the same for you and Jareth.”

“If I stay that long,” she muttered to herself, but the Fae woman heard her.

“Jareth is a good man, Reagan.  He will not send you away should it turn out your child is not his.  He will treat your child as his own, regardless of whether it actually is.”

“I believe you.”

She really did.  It wasn’t a question of Jareth deciding not to keep her, or a child that wasn’t his.  But if it was Galen’s, she was sure the Dragon would come after her.  He would want the child, if nothing else, and there was no way she could simply hand over her baby.

“Haldrin would not force you to return to Galen, even if the child is his.  Not after what Galen did to you.  You will not have to leave here unless you choose to.”

“Are you sure of that?”

“Absolutely.”

It was reassuring, to hear the other woman say that.  She’d heard similar statements from Jareth, but she had the feeling that at this point Jareth would say anything to make her feel better.  She had no doubt that if Haldrin did order her return to Galen Jareth would fight him, or simply ignore him.  It was a relief to hear from someone else the unlikelihood of that possibility.

“I hope you’re right.”

She clutched her stomach as she was hit with a wave of nausea, and she closed her eyes, hoping it would pass.  She really didn’t want to lose her lunch in front of Jareth’s mother.

“Breathe, child.”

  She tried to draw in a deep breath, but her growing midsection prevented a truly deep inhalation. She nearly doubled over as an intense pain wracked her body.  This was definitely not normal.

“Reagan?”

She didn’t answer.  She couldn’t.  It felt as though her insides were being ripped out.  She barely heard Sylvan’s near frantic call for Jareth over the roar in her ears, or noticed the little goblin disappear.  She couldn’t even properly hear Draco in her head as she was inundated with pain.

“Reagan!”

Where had Jareth come from? She felt herself being lifted, and tried to brace herself for the feeling of being transported, but it didn’t come. When she dared to open her eyes, she saw Draco preventing Jareth from leaving by grabbing a mouthful of her dress.

“Draco, let her go, now!”

The massive head shook in the negative, and actually tugged on her dress until it was pulling them both to him.  He pulled Reagan within reach of his claws, and casually swiped one across the front of her dress, exposing her stomach.  When Jareth reacted to stop him, a flick of his tale sent the Fae flying into the wall.  Sylvan stood, poised to act but uncertain of what to do.  A fully grown dragon was not to be meddled with lightly.  She watched as Draco briefly nuzzled Reagan’s belly before a massive tongue flicked out and licked across in full swipes.  To Reagan’s shock, she felt the pain lessening with each swipe of Draco’s tongue.  What the hell was happening, exactly?

Jareth recovered swiftly and moved to intervene, but Sylvan stopped him. They both watched in astonishment as the dragon appeared to heal Reagan, and Jareth could have slapped himself.  Of course! White dragons were natural healers.  He saw the look of confusion on his wife’s face, and quickly took her hand in his to offer comfort.

“It’s alright, Reagan.  I’d forgotten the dragon is capable of healing you.  You’ll be perfectly well in just a moment.”

He was disappointed with himself, for not thinking of such a thing before.  Reagan might not have needed to suffer so much with her pregnancy had he simply remembered that Draco could heal her, and that his attachment to her was great.  He watched as the dragon stopped licking his wife, and his head hovered curiously over her swelling stomach.

“Can you tell, Draco? What this child is?”

The dragon shook its head in the negative, and Jareth felt a moment’s disappointment.  He cared not whether this child was his or Galen’s, but it would have been good for Reagan had the dragon been able to make such a distinction.  He knew it was the uncertainty of everything that affected her the most. 

_“Better now.”_

“Much better, Draco. Thank you.”

She couldn’t believe how much better she felt.  She looked from Jareth to Sylvan, then back to Draco. 

“Reagan?”

She could hear the concern in Jareth’s voice. 

“Is our room clear?  I think I want to go back inside.”

“I’ll see to it, Jareth,” Sylvan said before he could answer, “take your time coming back.”

She disappeared the next instant, and Jareth turned to his wife. She did look extremely pale; for all that she looked infinitely better than she had when he was first summoned by Sylvan. 

“Do you wish to walk?”

Simply transporting themselves would be much faster, but he wanted to do nothing that might upset her rather fragile equilibrium.  Especially not when it appeared that something else was bothering her.  She nodded her agreement, but he heard Draco snort and before he could object the dragon had lifted Reagan by her dress and deposited her on his back.

“Don’t you dare fly off with her,” he ordered the animal.  The dragon actually rolled its eyes at him before walking at a lumbering pace.  Jareth kept pace easily, content to simply keep an eye on Reagan until he saw that she was crying.  He immediately climbed on Draco’s back behind Reagan and pulled her back into his arms.

“Reagan, what’s wrong?”

“I thought I was losing the baby.”

“I know, love. But you didn’t.  The child is fine.”

His statement was meant to be reassuring, but she only cried harder.  He did not understand. 

“Reagan?”

Her tears worried him.  The fact that she cried so silently was perhaps the greatest concern of all.  Had he not seen the tears dripping down her face before he swung up behind her, he would never know she was crying.

“I was relieved,”  he heard her barely whisper, “I thought I was losing the baby, and I was relieved.  How could I---how could I wish for the loss of my baby? What kind of person does that make me?   ”

“It makes you honest, Reagan.  You carry a child not of your choosing.  It is absolutely understandable to feel that way.”

He had wondered at her mental state.  Apart from her confession of events at the High Court, Reagan refused to speak of her time with Galen.  She’d gone through a very great trauma, but remained silent about it.  It hurt to see her in such pain.

“It’s not understandable.  Whoever the father of this child is, it’s still mine.  And I was relieved at the thought of losing it.”

“Perhaps.  But you do not actually wish for the loss of the child, do you?  You would not now feel such remorse if you did.  There is no harm in feeling, Reagan.  I know that you would never do anything to harm this child.”

He could give her no other reassurance.  She might doubt herself, but he was certain of her.  She was correct in that regardless of whether this child proved to his or Galen’s, it was still hers, and she would love any child she might bear.  She might have felt momentary relief at the thought of no longer having to deal with this entire situation, but she would be crushed if she actually lost the baby.  She was not the monster she seemed to believe she was at present.

He was shocked, to say the least, when she turned around and kissed him.  Not a simple peck on the cheek, or the forehead, but a searing kiss, on the mouth.  He thought this might be the first time she’d ever initiated anything remotely intimate.  What was going on in her head?  He pulled away and looked at her.

“Reagan?”

“I’m sorry.”

He could see the blush staining her cheeks before she turned around.  He quickly grasped her chin and turned her back around to face him.  He didn’t want her to feel badly. That was the last thing he wanted.

“Don’t apologize.  But I would love to know what you’re thinking.”

“I don’t know.  I just—these damn hormones are driving me crazy, and you’re my husband so why not, and—do you not want me anymore? You’ve barely touched me since I got back.”

She looked as if she was about to cry again, while Jareth had to choke back a groan.  Could she really think he didn’t want her?

“Good gods, Reagan, of course I want you.  Don’t ever think I don’t want you.  But I don’t want you to feel that you have to do this.”

He’d been very careful not to push.  After everything she’d been through, he hadn’t wanted to add a husband’s demands of a wife.  He hadn’t slept nude since she returned to his bed, and he was cautious in his displays of affection, not wishing to frighten her, or put her in a position where she felt powerless to stop him.  Perhaps he’d been too careful, if she actually believed he no longer wanted her.

“I did not wish to push you, Reagan.  But if you wish it…….”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

This time when she kissed him he kissed back wholeheartedly, and he wasted no more time in waiting for Draco to get them back to the castle.  Forget going back to their room, where Sylvan might very well be waiting for them.  He didn’t feel like ordering his mother out of the room, or putting up with her knowing smirk when he did so.  He transported them to the tower.  They wouldn’t be disturbed there.

J--------j---------J-----------J------------j-----------J------------j

Galen paced the hall as he waited for Haldrin to admit him.  He had already been waiting the entire morning.  The High King knew of his presence, he was simply doing everything in his considerable power to make him wait.  He would never have expected the Elf to be so petty. Elves were supposed to be above the squabbles of the other Underground races. 

He was furious.  Jareth had snuck into his kingdom and stolen Reagan away, while he was in conference with the new High King.  This entire situation might have been settled peaceably, if not for the Goblin King.  Not even Haldrin would have taken Reagan away from him, not when she carried his heir.   How dare they try to keep her away?  She didn’t belong to the Goblins, she belonged to the Dragons. 

The doors to the audience chamber opened, and an Elf stepped through.

“The High King will receive you now.”

He didn’t wait for the herald to announce him.  He swooped into the room, his tread daring anyone to try to stop him.  He was surprised to see both Haldrin and Saoirse seated on the thrones.  That would make this more difficult than it needed to be, as Saoirse was sister to Jareth.  Not to mention the fact that she had scorned his proposal of marriage so many centuries ago.  He approached the thrones, and nodded respectfully.  He would not bow.

“Galen.”

“Haldrin.  You know why I’m here.”

“I do.  And you know that your demand is impossible.”

He could not mistake the hate-filled glare Saoirse directed at him.  While he was not foolish enough to expect help to come from that quarter, he feared that she would do her best to hinder his cause.  The look on her face told him that he was correct.

“It is not only possible, Haldrin, it is necessary.  Reagan is my queen—“

“She was Jareth’s before you abducted her!”  Saoirse hissed at him. He watched Haldrin lay a hand on her arm, urging her to calm down.

“Be that as it may, she carries my child.  Not even the High King can deny my right to my heir.  The child must be raised in my kingdom, and you cannot think to separate a newborn child from its mother. Reagan must be allowed to come back to me.”

“She has asked never to see you again, Galen.”

That could not be true. Reagan was his wife.  She loved him, he was certain of it.  Even if it was originally due to a spell, she could not deny the truth of it. She could not love Jareth.  They had been Bonded only a short time before she came to his home.

“I don’t believe you.”

“It matters not whether you believe him, it is the truth!”

“Even if it is the truth, it is irrelevant!  Reagan carries my child!”

“That we will not know until after the birth of the child, Galen.  The healers cannot determine whose child it is.”

No.  He knew full well that Reagan carried his child.  It could not be Jareth’s.  He would know if the child was not his. They simply wished to keep her from him. 

“It is my child, Haldrin.  No matter how she wishes to deny it. And when it is proven that the child is mine, she will return to my kingdom.  You cannot keep my wife from me.”

He left them with a final glare, and Haldrin and Saoirse shared a look.  The months until the child was born and its parentage uncovered were going to be most difficult. And if it was Galen’s….Saoirse feared her brother’s reaction to that possible eventuality.


	23. Chapter 23

Reagan stared at the scrolled vellum on the desk in front of her, wanting nothing more than to toss it onto the fire. Galen actually had the nerve to send her a letter?  Was he stalking her now that he knew she was at Haldrin’s palace? 

_My Beloved Reagan,_

No! She would not read it through again.  Once was more than enough.  There was nothing he could have to say that she would ever want to hear.  Did he honestly expect that she would answer him? 

A soft knock on the door drew her attention, and she absently rubbed her swollen abdomen as she turned to see Jareth enter, carrying a tea tray.

“I thought you might like some tea.”

“That sounds lovely, Jareth. Thank you.”

He set the tray on the desk before filling a cup and adding sugar and ice cubes to cool it. His wife’s preference for cold tea never ceased to amuse him. The one time she’d tried hot tea she’d almost managed to break the teacup as she flung it away from her.  He passed the now cooling cup to Reagan before pouring a cup for himself. If she wanted it any cooler she could use her gifts to accomplish it.  Her control had improved to the point that he no longer really worried that she might do something unexpected or destructive.

“Saoirse told me to extend an invitation to join her tonight. Something to do with the ladies meeting in the inner courtyard for some weaving.”

Reagan successfully bit back the grimace at that announcement. She was more grateful than she could say to Saoirse for the way she was automatically included in everything the women of the Court did, with no questions ever brought up.  But weaving was most definitely not one of her talents. Still, she couldn’t insult her sister-in-law by refusing.   Hopefully she would feel well enough to join them.  She’d been feeling lethargic all day.

“What’s wrong?” Jareth asked in concern when he saw the expressions flit across Reagan’s face.

“Nothing. I’m just so tired all the time.  I understand it comes with the territory when you’re nine months pregnant. How was your meeting?”

They’d come to the High Court to get away from the business of the kingdom as her delivery drew near, but Jareth was still drawn into a seemingly endless round of meetings. His father had thankfully agreed to step into running the goblins until they returned, so that was one worry off his mind, but Haldrin had almost immediately pulled him into the business of the Court, and it was more exhausting than running his own kingdom.

“It was long, drawn out, and tedious. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine. Really. I’ll just take a nap before dinner tonight, and I should be good to join your sister.”

“Then I’ll inform her that you’ll attend this evening when I see her again.”

He stayed as long as possible, enjoying the solitude with Reagan. They were ever surrounded by people in the High Court, which was both expected and one of the reasons for their coming, but he relished the time when it was just the two of them.  He looked forward to being able to return home once the child was born, even though he agreed that it would be best to give birth at the High Court, where Healers could immediately see to the child and determine its parentage.  To have stayed in the Goblin Kingdom, behind the protected walls of the Labyrinth, would only allow Galen to claim that they were concealing the truth.  Whatever the Healers discovered, the announcement would be public, so that there could be no subterfuge.

“You should rest, love,” he suggested after the fourth yawn she couldn’t manage to suppress. She nodded her agreement when she was finally able to close her mouth, and he walked her to the bedroom, even going so far as to lay down with her.  He had another hour before his next meeting, and he was reluctant to leave her before he had to.

He wouldn’t show it, but he was concerned for her. The last months of her pregnancy, she’d grown progressively worse, until she was very nearly spending the entire day in bed or in the courtyard hammock.  Was she supposed to be so tired? He’d never been around a pregnant woman before; he didn’t know what was normal.  But at least it was almost over. She could deliver any day.

When he couldn’t avoid leaving any longer, if he didn’t want to be late to the next meeting, he carefully slid out from under Reagan and adjusted her on the bed. He stopped at the desk to pick up the tray and froze when he saw the letter.  That monster dared try to address his wife!  Mindful of disturbing the sleeping woman, he picked up the scroll and started reading.

_My Beloved Reagan,_

_I understand that you do not wish to see me, and I cannot tell you how much I regret that. You should never have had reason to fear me.  You must know that everything I have done was done from care for you. I have loved you since before you were born, when Norah first saw your future as my queen._

_It is unfortunate that you were raised Above, with no understanding of our ways; because of that disadvantage there is so much that you fail to understand. You believe that your freedom of choice is more important than anything, but it is not.  You are a compassionate woman; you must acknowledge that the survival of an entire people is more important than personal desires._

_Reagan, you must now consider the future of our child. That you hope the child you carry is Jareth’s, I do not doubt, but I know absolutely that this child is a product of our union.  You love me, Reagan, as I do you.  Those emotions were not the result of any potion; they were and are entirely real.  You are my queen. Your place is by my side.  Our son or daughter deserves to have both his parents together, in the country he will someday rule.  Do not punish our child out of your anger with me._

_I will be present for the birth of our child, even if I am not allowed to witness the delivery, though I am hopeful you will not deny me the privilege of seeing our child come into the world. Come home to me, love.  I will devote myself to earning your forgiveness._

_\--Galen_

Furious, Jareth crumpled the letter and threw it on the fire. It was no wonder Reagan had been so strange when he first arrived, after reading that letter.  How dare the Dragon attempt to coerce Reagan into returning to him?  If he attempted to force his way into the delivery room while Reagan labored to birth the child that he possibly forced onto her, Jareth would kill him.   He would have to speak with Haldrin about the security precautions being taken for Reagan’s labor. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Reagan carefully picked her way through the path in the courtyard, following the direction of female voices. She finally felt somewhat better after her nap, although she was getting a twinge in her back on occasion.  Still, she wasn’t feeling the fatigue she’d been feeling almost constantly for the last month, and that was a vast improvement.  It also helped that she couldn’t find that cursed letter from Galen when she woke, only ashes and scraps in the fireplace.  Jareth must have found it, and destroyed it.  She was glad of that.

She wasn’t prepared for the sight that greeted her when she finally joined the women. There was no weaving in sight.  Instead, they were surrounded by some of the most strangely wrapped packages Reagan had ever seen.  What was all this?

“What—“

She was led to a chair in the center of the group and unceremoniously pushed into it, and almost immediately a plate with food was thrust into her hands. She grabbed it carefully, not wanting to drop it onto her lap.   It was a holdover from living Above: she only had so many dresses that fit anymore, and she didn’t want to ruin one of them.  It didn’t matter that Jareth could just drop a crystal and she’d have an entire wardrobe of maternity dresses if she wanted them.  She was still trying to get used to the whole instant gratification thing.

“Alright, what’d I miss here?”

“We wished to do something for you and Jareth,” Sylvan answered for all of them. When did Sylvan arrive? Reagan was confused.  They were—they were giving her a baby shower?  She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and shook her head. She would NOT cry like a damn ninny!  She wouldn’t let them make her cry!

Everyone was waiting for her, so she quickly set her plate down. The food looked delicious, but it was making her nauseous just smelling it.  She definitely didn’t plan on throwing up in front of all these women.  It looked like Saoirse had managed to get nearly every high ranking woman in the Court to join her in this. 

As soon as the plate was out of the way, the packages started landing on her lap. She opened each of them, the contents of most of them surprising and confusing her (what on earth was she supposed to do with THAT?), but she was touched by their generosity.  Most of these women didn’t know her, and some of them had husbands who’d supported simply leaving her a prisoner to the Dragon, and still they gave gifts.  She wasn’t naïve enough to believe that it was all done out of the goodness out of their heart, rather than the desire to remain in the good graces of the new High Queen, but whatever the reason, she appreciated it. There were many things they needed that she hadn’t even given thought to finding, or finding the Underground equivalent (she hadn’t seen a single onesie in all the gifts).

She was in casual conversation with a centaur woman, Riva, she thought the name was, when a maid interrupted the party to approach Saoirse and murmur something into her ear. Whatever it was caused the woman to freeze, and look at Reagan in something like dread.  Her look was enough to still all conversation in the courtyard.

“What is it?”

“Galen has come, and he brings his sister with him. She wishes to join us.”

Reagan shook her head, almost violently. She wouldn’t see either of them.  No.  They couldn’t make her see the people who’d kidnapped her and held her prisoner for months. 

“No. I won’t see her.”

“Would it not be better to see her here, surrounded by witnesses, than to let her find you alone?”

She knew Sylvan spoke sense, but she couldn’t do it. If she saw either of them she just might try to kill them.  She mentally ordered herself to calm down.  All the stress couldn’t be good for the baby.

“I can’t.”

“Very well then. Sylvan, perhaps you would be kind enough to help Reagan take her gifts back to her suite? You need not be here when Norah arrives.”

Reagan was quick to jump at the offered solution, and in no time at all, the gifts were gathered, and she was on her way back to their apartment with Sylvan and Riva in tow. Let Saoirse deal with Norah; Jareth’s sister wasn’t one to put up with  stupidity for long, even if she did have to be diplomatic about it as High Queen.

“Saoirse will deal with Norah,” Sylvan reassured her daughter-in-law as they arranged all the newly acquired items around the room, “it is unfortunate that they cannot simply be banned from the Court, but to do so would provoke a war. Are you alright my dear?” the older Fae asked when she saw Reagan nearly doubled over, barely managing to hold onto the chair she’d begun to sit in.

“I don’t think so,” Reagan answered when she was able to breathe again. She’d known labor would be painful, but she hadn’t expected the contraction to be THAT bad, especially since it was the first one she’d noticed. But it was either a contraction, or something was really wrong, and she just didn’t think she could face the possibility that there was a problem when she was so close to finally having this baby.

“The child is coming?”

Reagan nodded as she straightened up, still holding onto the chair. If that was any indication of how bad this labor was going to be, she didn’t want any part of it. 

“Summon the Healers, Riva, immediately.”

The centaur nodded and left as ordered, as Sylvan focused all of her attention on Reagan.

“Let’s get you out of that dress and into something more comfortable for delivery, shall we?”

When her water broke as she tried to take a step, Reagan could only nod and leave Sylvan to rifle through the wardrobe herself. She immediately returned with a loose nightgown, to find Reagan pale and shaking, staring down at the mess on the floor.

“It’s alright, my dear. You’re doing very well.  Put this on, and get into the bed.”

Her arms were shaking as she pulled the dress over her head and tossed it into a wet heap on the floor. So much for not ruining it, she thought to herself as she slipped on the nightgown, just in time for the Healers to arrive and walk/carry her over to the bed. She didn’t have time to be embarrassed at her helplessness as a Healer she’d never met placed his hands all over her stomach, pushing down until she wanted to scream at him before unceremoniously shoving her nightgown up to her knees and arranging her legs the way he wanted them, touching flesh and probing gently as she tried to squirm away from him.

“It will not be a long labor, Your Majesty. This child is anxious to be born.”

“Well that’s very comforting, now will you kindly get your hands the hell away from my vagina! Where the hell is Jareth?!  He should be here!”

“Jareth isn’t allowed to attend, Reagan, not with the dispute over the child’s paternity. I will stay with you through the birth.”

Reagan practically stood up in the bed as she shrieked in outrage. Sylvan’s promise to stay was probably meant to be reassuring, but she didn’t want the former queen with her.  The only one she wanted was Jareth.  He should have to go through this right along with her, and Sylvan was telling her that because of Galen he couldn’t?

“What?! What is wrong with you people?!”

She sucked in a sharp breath as another contraction hit, and she was unable to quell the scream as the pain racked her body. What she wouldn’t give for a modern hospital. Didn’t these people use drugs during childbirth? 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sound of Reagan’s scream echoed through the hallways, and Jareth shot from his seat in Haldrin’s study. He was immediately stopped at the door by two elves, as Haldrin urged him to have another drink.  He knew he didn’t need the doors to get to their room, but he was trying his best to not overreact.  They had enough trouble already. 

“There’s nothing you could do for her, even if you were there, Jareth.”

That wasn’t the point. His wife was in tremendous pain, and even if he would be helpless to relieve it, he should be there with her to share it.  She shouldn’t be left alone.  The fact that Sylvan was with her was moot.

“I should still be there.”

“You will NOT go anywhere near Reagan and our child! I will not allow you to spirit her off behind your Labyrinth!”

Galen’s declaration was a reminder both of why Jareth wasn’t allowed to be with his wife when she needed him and why he hated the Dragon so much. If Haldrin didn’t shut the man up, Jareth would be happy to do it for him.  The man acted as if he owned Reagan.

“We don’t know that the child is yours, Galen, so you would be wise to keep your threats to yourself.”

“I know that the child is mine, Haldrin. And once it’s proven, not even you can keep them from me. You know the laws.”

Jareth really wanted to end the Dragon. As part of his bid to once again take his wife, Galen had managed to find an obscure law still on record that mandated Reagan to go back to the Dragons if the child turned out to be his.  He’d shown up at the palace as soon as possible to shove it under the High King’s face and demand that it be enforced, and he’d managed to gather some support from members of the High Council.

“That law hasn’t been used in centuries!” he hissed, eyes flashing angrily.

“It matters not,” Galen insisted smugly, “it is still law, and it is still on record. You cannot change that.  Not even the High King can keep me from my heir, or its mother.”

“She is still my Bonded wife, no matter what you have done to her.”

“She is Bonded to me as well, Jareth. And she is having my child. That supersedes the Bond you had with her.”

The bastard had the nerve to—Jareth slammed Galen up against the wall, his hand hovering dangerously close to the man’s face. Galen might be the larger man, but Jareth was the more powerful, and at the moment he wanted to use every drop of that power to destroy the Dragon.  He could only have formed a Bond with Reagan after he’d tampered with her memories.  She hadn’t mentioned him forcing her to Bond with him when she spoke of his attack, which meant it was very likely that she believed it was a false memory.  She would have had no idea that she actually agreed to it. It was every inch as much a rape as his rape of her body and mind. He was only prevented from killing the man by Haldrin’s restraining hand on his arm.

“She will never agree to go with you!”

The barb hit its mark. He saw Galen freeze, his face falling for a brief second before he seemed to pull himself together again.

“And I regret that she feels that way. But the most important concern is the best interests of our child.  She has no choice.”

Jareth sincerely hoped that the Dragon dared to say that in Reagan’s presence. It would be almost as satisfying to see her demolish Galen as it would be to do it himself.  They were interrupted by another scream, and from the corner of his eye he saw Galen tense, as if he too had to restrain himself from leaving the room.  If he tried to get into the delivery room, Jareth would kill him.

Jareth lost all track of time as he was kept in Haldrin’s study, waiting for the cursed event to finally be over, when finally the screaming stopped, and scarcely minutes later there was a knock on the study door. An elven healer stood on the other side of the door, looking surprisingly unkempt.

“The Goblin Queen is delivered of a son. Both mother and child are doing well.”

Jareth sagged against the wall in relief at the news that Reagan was alright. There had been so much screaming; he’d been sure that something had gone terribly wrong.

“And the child?”

The healer shook her head at Haldrin’s questioning.

“We cannot determine for certain whose it is. It would be best to consult Larek.”

Haldrin nodded and immediately sent a summons to his brother. Jareth found himself wanting to throw something.  Yet another delay?  Even if it was only momentary, had they not waited long enough?  Every second’s wait would be agonizing to Reagan, who didn’t deserve to suffer any longer.  Why was Larek not waiting with them, in case of this very eventuality? 

“I would not summon him from his kingdom if it was not necessary, Jareth.”

It was only when Haldrin answered him that he realized he’d voiced the question aloud. Larek was shown to Jareth & Reagan’s apartment immediately upon his arrival, but Jareth and Galen were both forced to wait outside.  Jareth was surprised Haldrin left the pair of them alone, but didn’t mention it.  He had more important things to worry about.  There was silence for a brief moment, and then he heard Reagan’s wail through the walls, and his heart sank.  It could only be bad news.  The look on Haldrin’s face when they stepped outside confirmed it.

“The child is Dragon.”

Galen nearly pushed the High King out of the way as he stepped into the room. Haldrin turned to follow the Dragon, no doubt to make sure that he behaved himself, but Jareth stopped him.

“You can’t really intend to make her go with him. Not after what he’s done to her.”

“I don’t wish to do so, Jareth, but there may not be a choice. Unfortunately he has the law on his side in this. He has a right to his heir, and I cannot separate a newborn from its mother. Especially if they truly are Bonded.”

“There must be something you can do.”

“I know of nothing.”

Jareth brushed past his brother-in-law into the room. Reagan was lying propped up against pillows, the infant nuzzling at her breast.  He could see the tears streaming down her face unchecked as she turned away from both the baby searching for sustenance and the father, who was staring at the child in dumbfounded fascination.  Sylvan was watching the younger woman, and Jareth could see the concern in his stepmother’s eyes as Reagan seemed to ignore the baby’s moving.

“Reagan…”

When she didn’t answer, Sylvan simply sat on the edge of the bed and arranged both mother and child, finally getting Reagan’s attention enough that she pulled the nightgown she wore down far enough that the baby could reach his target. She looked startled as he started nursing.

“What will you name him?”

“His name is Kale,” Galen interrupted any answer Reagan might have made, and she finally roused herself enough to glare at him.

“Get away from us!”

“You are my wife.”

“I will never be your wife!”

“Back off Galen,” Haldrin ordered quietly, but the Dragon ignored him. When he took a step closer Reagan lashed out, sending him into a wall; the best she could manage in her weakened state. He staggered to his feet, staring at her in shock.

“You take one more step in this direction and I swear to God I will kill you!”

“Reagan, I understand your anger, but this is futile. You ARE mine, and you and Kale will return home with me.”

“I will kill you before I go back to that place!”

“Galen, leave. Now.”

This order was loud enough that it could not be ignored, and Galen rounded on the High King.

“You cannot mean to try to keep my child from me. You know the law.”

Haldrin looked calmly at the volatile Dragon, not even raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing will be decided tonight. The queen is in need of rest. She will not go anywhere until she has had the opportunity to recover from the birth.”

“I will see that my queen is well looked after once we return home. There is no reason to stay here, other than your wish to delay the inevitable, and I will not allow it!”

“I said leave.”

The standoff was brief, before Galen finally realized that challenging the High King in his own Court would be a very unwise idea. He stalked out angrily, promising that he would return to see his wife and child in the morning. Haldrin waited until he was gone before addressing Reagan, whose exhaustion was enough to alarm nearly everyone in the room. Jareth instantly assumed the place on the bed that Sylvan had vacated.

“The law allows a king to claim his heir, Reagan. There is nothing that can be done to counter it.”

“What about the fact that I am Bonded to Jareth?! You can’t force a Bonded pair apart!”

“He claims that you are Bonded to him, as well.”

“Impossible! I would never--!”

Jareth saw the moment realization hit, as her entire face darkened in fury, and she very nearly loosed her hold on the baby.

“He is a dead man if he ever comes near me again.”

“If you are Bonded to him, and have borne his child, I cannot refuse to return you to him. It would be wise to consider—“

“I will die before I go back there, Haldrin.”

She meant it, too. She would never consent to returning to the Dragon.  She would see either herself or him dead first.

“Dragons are not immortal, Reagan. Galen will eventually die, and you would be free to return to Jareth.”

“I will not willingly spend a single moment in that place again. If you try to force me to go back this child will become king far sooner than anyone expected.”

“I would prefer it not come to that. I will leave you to your rest now.  We will settle this in the morning.”

The High King paused at the door, turning back to Jareth and Reagan.

“Jareth, you cannot remain here. You will have to reside elsewhere.”

Jareth glared at his brother-in-law. He would not leave Reagan alone tonight; not with Galen prowling around the palace, and just as likely to try to spirit her off while everyone else slept as he was to wait for a ruling in his favor. Surely the Elf wouldn’t force Reagan to go back to Galen.  No matter what the Dragon king claimed.  Haldrin wouldn’t be so cruel.

“I’m not leaving my wife, Haldrin.”

“Much as we would all wish otherwise, I cannot recognize your Bond over Galen’s; not when there is a child of a royal bloodline involved.”

“A child that wouldn’t exist without his crimes against her!”

“And you know that I cannot address a crime that was committed under another High King’s rule. Not unless it was in connection with an assault against the High Throne. It is an unfortunate reality, but I cannot alter the laws to suit my personal wishes.  And I must apply our laws to all residents of the Underground, without exception.  Now say your goodbyes and come.”

“I will stay with them Haldrin, until he is ready to leave. I will ensure that he does not take her back to the Goblin Kingdom.”

Jareth stared at the Elf in stunned disbelief, until he saw the even look Haldrin was giving him. With Elves, what was unsaid was just as important as what was said; sometimes even more so.  And what Haldrin left out spoke volumes.  He waited until the High King left the room, ensuring that they would not be disturbed but also ensuring that the High Throne would not be involved any further before turning back to his wife.

“He can’t expect that I’ll change my mind and just let Galen take me away from here.”

“He doesn’t. Now we don’t have much time,” he spared a glance for Sylvan, the only person remaining in the room.  She nodded at him. They’d given much thought to this in the recent months, and his plan was already in place.  What he intended was risky, but he would do it for Reagan, to give her a chance to escape Galen.

“Remember what I’ve taught you about controlling your power.”

“You taught me a lot of things.”

“And you’ll need all of them. Remember, you’re more powerful than you realize.   You’ll have to be very careful.”

“Jareth, what are you talking about?”

“We have to send you somewhere Galen cannot follow.”

“Alright, you’re starting to scare me.”

He pulled her tightly to him, mindful of the infant she held in her arms. He couldn’t bear the thought of not holding her again, but he kept his anger to himself.  He gave her a last lingering kiss as he slipped a crystal into her free hand. She looked at him in surprise.  With a snap of his fingers, she was gone, and he forced back the roar of rage that struggled to make it past his lips.


	24. Chapter 24

“Carrie, are you sure you won’t come out with us tonight?”

“As tempting as the idea is, I have an infant waiting at home, and I can’t ask the baby-sitter to stay late on such short notice.”

Reagan managed to tune out the rest of her coworkers still trying to convince “Carrie” to come out for a drink. It was Friday night, which meant she was done for two days, and she was eager to get home to see Joshua.  Thanks to Jareth’s teachings and her natural magic, she had no need to work to support herself, but after the first three months she decided she had to get out of the house and send time with other adults or she would go crazy.  She couldn’t just sit home and do nothing.  Even if she’d had no official job with Jareth, she’d been busy enough that she felt like she was doing something worthwhile with her time. She needed to feel that.

She waved goodnight to those who were still packing up and stepped out of the clinic doors and into the fresh air. It had been a long day today, and everyone was eager to get out.  With the winter setting in, more kids were getting sick as viruses spread, and half the waiting room had been filled with sick kids while the other half was filled with kids waiting for a flu shot. 

She drove off as soon as she was in the car, heading for the grocery store on the road home. She would do the major shopping tomorrow, but they’d run completely out of milk that morning, and she couldn’t leave that until the next day. And she might as well pick up something for herself from the deli, so she wouldn’t have to make another stop before she got home.  She was in line to check out when she saw them walk in: Ryan and Cole, her reason for setting up on this side of town.  Even if they had no clue who she was, she could at least see for herself that they were alright.

 She didn’t let herself stare after them as the cashier handed over her change.  She’d seen them last week in the clinic when Cole came for his flu shot. That had to be enough.  She couldn’t try to insert herself into their lives, especially not when she was sure Galen was still trying to find her.  She’d had more than one close call in the months she’d been Above, only barely spotting Norah before Norah spotted her.  Her magic was strong enough to mask them, or they would have been found before now.  It appeared as though Norah was just looking wherever she thought they might be found.

“I’m home Sandy,” she called as she walked into the house.  There was no greeting, or any sort of answer from the babysitter, and she set her groceries on the kitchen counter before hurrying to the living room, concerned.  She found Sandy sitting on the couch, staring into nothing, and Joshua playing happily on the floor.  It took a full ten seconds for Reagan to realize what she was seeing.  Her son, her baby, was playing happily on the floor with his new wings and tail.

“Oh please, dear God, no. Not this.”

He was far too young. Most Dragons didn’t begin to change until they reached puberty.  They certainly didn’t change as infants; they didn’t possess the motor control necessary to control the change.  And Joshua was at most half Dragon.  How was it that he was already changing?   

“Ma!”

It was the only word he’d mastered so far, randomly spitting it out only a few days before. He was working on crawling as well, it seemed, as she watched him try to scoot his diapered butt across the floor before finally settling for lifting his arms in a demand to be picked up.  His little wings flapped in her face as she hoisted him up and settled him on her hip, his tail swinging of its own volition.

Figuring out the how of the problem was actually the least of her worries. The babysitter that was practically catatonic was more important at the moment.  Reagan didn’t even want to think about what could happen if Sandy said something about what she saw. She didn’t know of any way to force Joshua to change back, and she didn’t want to get the girl’s attention when he was still displaying dragon parts.  That wouldn’t be at all helpful. 

“ _Alright, Reagan, you just have to figure this out_.” 

She had to force herself not to immediately call for Jareth. He would come, as he always did when she called, but she couldn’t keep running to him for every little thing.  She had to be able to handle things on her own if she wanted to have a hope of keeping her sanity.  There had to be something that she could do.

Yes! It hit her in an instant.  She couldn’t force Joshua’s wings or tail to disappear, but she could make it so that Sandy didn’t see them.   If she couldn’t see them, it would be easy to convince her that she’d just imagined them, or that she’d had a bad dream.  Reagan closed her eyes in concentration, and when she opened them again, Joshua appeared perfectly normal.  It was a simple glamour, and not one that she would be able to keep up extensively, but it would certainly fool the poor babysitter.    Once she was sure the glamour would hold she touched Sandy, pushing her shoulder until the girl’s attention jumped to her, and the baby on her shoulder.

“I- I saw-- he doesn’t have any—but I saw!”

“Sandy, are you alright? You’re not making any sense.”

“I saw--!”

“It’s time for you to head on out. Let me get him in his carrier and I’ll get you your check.”

Soon enough, Sandy was out the door, paycheck In hand and muttering to herself about the need to get more sleep and stop eating chili cheese fries before going to bed. It wouldn’t take long for the girl to convince herself happily that she’d hallucinated.   Reagan only wished it was really so easy to take care of.

“Alright you, let’s get you fed, then mommy gets a minute to herself to panic.”

**L---L---L---L**

Reagan waited until Joshua was finally down for the night and asleep before allowing herself to give in to the tears that had been threatening ever since she walked through the door. She couldn’t do it anymore.  Joshua’s changes were still uncontrollable, and they were happening far too often.  She’d had to glamour half a dozen babysitters into forgetting what they saw over the last two months, and this would be the third time they had to move because he did it in some public place.  She couldn’t keep him shut up in the house all the time; he didn’t deserve that.   

This time it was a Wal-Mart. He’d gone an entire week without an incident, so she’d felt comfortable enough to take him out in public again.  He’d done it right in the middle of the check-out line.  They’d had to disappear into thin air after the woman behind her shrieked and drew everyone’s attention to them. Joshua just laughed; he thought it was some sort of game.

She had to admit it to herself; he didn’t belong here. He belonged Underground, with his own kind.  Until he could control when he grew wings, he couldn’t have any kind of normal life here, and that wasn’t anything she could teach him.  It could take years until he learned to do it himself, or understood why he needed to.   She couldn’t keep him hidden for years.

Her mind made up, she pulled out a crystal and summoned Jareth. He appeared instantly, which she appreciated.  If he waited, she might lose her nerve.  The smile on his face disappeared the moment he took in her expression.

“Reagan?”

The Goblin King took in several details at once. The first was that Reagan was crying.  The second was that this was not the house he’d previously visited when he’d come to see his wife.  She wordlessly led him down a hall to a door that was cracked open.  When he looked into the crib, he froze. 

“How long?”

“It started a couple months ago.”

“This is why you changed your residence?”

“Yes. It was too risky to stay where we were.  He’s just a baby; this isn’t his fault, but I--”

She started crying again, and Jareth pulled her into his arms. How he wished he could take her home, and make all of this go away for her.  His anger at Galen for all the trouble he’d caused couldn’t be quantified.  He held her through her sobbing, surprised that she didn’t wake the child with the noise, until she finally quieted.

“You have to take him back with you, Jareth.”

“What?”

He must have misunderstood her. Surely she wasn’t suggesting—

“He can’t stay here, not like this. He can’t control it.  And I can’t keep him locked up.”

“Reagan, think what you’re saying. You’re talking about sending your son away.”

He couldn’t believe that she would be willing to send the child away. She would never just let him go. She could not be thinking clearly.

“He doesn’t belong here.   It’s not fair to him to keep him confined and hidden.  He should go to Galen.  It’s the only place he can be free.  But I can’t go back there, so you have to take him.”

“Reagan, you don’t have to do this. You can come back with me.  You’ll be safe in the Labyrinth, and you can keep the child with you.”

She pulled away, and leveled him with a steady stare.

“You know I can’t do that. I would love nothing more than to come home to you, Jareth, but I can’t be the start of a war.  And as soon as Galen found out I was there, that’s exactly what would happen. You know that.”

“Not necessarily,” Jareth surprised her by saying. He’d done a great deal of thinking in the months that Reagan was gone, and an endless amount of research into the laws that Galen used to gain supporters for forcing Reagan to go back to him.  He never brought up his continued contact with Reagan with Haldrin, as the High King must be able to say in truth that he was uninvolved in her disappearance and had no knowledge of where she was, but still his brother-in-law knew, and provided valuable resources in the search for a way to free Reagan from the Dragon’s claim.

“The law supported Galen’s claim because the child was newborn, and could not be separated from you. The child is now old enough that he could survive with a nurse. You would be within your rights to challenge Galen’s claim on you.”

“And what about Joshua?”

“Galen cannot enter the Labyrinth to try to claim him. You could keep him with you, if you wished.  Or he could be returned to the Dragons, as you’ve asked.”

“Other people could come, though. Haldrin could come, and he would have to try to turn me over to Galen, under your laws.  He would have to take Joshua.”

“Is that not what you wanted?”

No. It wasn’t what she wanted.  She wanted her son to be normal, so that they could stay Above.  She wanted him to be Jareth’s son, not Galen’s.  She couldn’t change the unfortunate reality that he wasn’t. 

“I want him to not have to hide. And that’s not here. Please, take him, before I change my mind.”

Jareth started to speak, until he saw the look on Reagan’s face. He knew that look.  It was pure determination, and resignation. 

“Are you certain?”

“I have no talent for certainty. But it’s what’s right for him. Please just do it.”

“Very well. Promise me you’ll consider coming home.”

He wanted her back in his home, and his bed. He wanted to ensure that Galen could never get near her again. For now, though, he would do as she wished, and take the child where he would be safe, and among his own kind.

**L-------L----------L----------L**

Galen waited impatiently. The summons to the High Court had been unexpected, and now that he was here he was forced to wait until the High King was ready to receive him.  He loathed this place.  He’d sworn to himself that he would never again set foot in the High King’s palace, after they took Reagan from him.  The damned Elf could issue all the denials he liked; Galen knew that he’d acted in concert with the Goblin King to steal his queen and his heir away.  Jareth would never have acted without the High King’s consent.  He loathed all Fae, and at the present, all Elves, for their twice damned interference in his marriage.  Still, he could not ignore a summons from the High King if he wished to remain king of his people, and so he went.

Norah wished to see the summons as a positive event. Her search for Reagan Above had so far proven fruitless, resulting in the Dragon’s ambassador to present a demand for a formal search of both the Goblin Kingdom and Above by the High Throne.  Norah hoped that a summons meant she had been found. Galen thought it more likely that the demand had simply been cast aside, as had all Dragon demands from previous High Kings.  Marek had been the only one they’d ever been able to work with to achieve a positive result. 

“The High King will see you now,” the servant’s announcement startled him. He only barely nodded civilly before bypassing the Elf and stalking into the parlor Haldrin had elected to receive him in.  At least that meant it was to be a private audience.  He was surprised to find the High Queen in the room as well, holding a blanket wrapped bundle.

“You sent for me?”

He refused to bow to the Elf who’d stolen his wife. Haldrin looked entirely unconcerned at his lack of respect, but Saoirse was glaring at him as if she could end his existence by sheer force of will.  He ignored her venomous look.  He would die eventually, as Dragons rarely lived more than a millennium, but it would not be at her hand this day.   

“Yes.”

Haldrin nodded to his wife, who unwillingly rose to her feet and approached. Galen eyed her warily as she slapped him, hard, and then shoved the bundle she carried unceremoniously into his arms. He reflexively clutched it, but almost dropped it as it moved.  He immediately nudged blankets out of the way to reveal a child’s face, and he looked up to Haldrin, stunned.

“What is this?”

“It is your son.”

His son? He looked down at the infant.  The boy did have Reagan’s eyes, and her mouth, but the rest was most certainly his face.  How did his son end up at the High Court?  And where was Reagan?

“How is it that you have my son?”

If Jareth had been hiding them in his castle for these long months, Galen would declare war.

“He was surrendered to our care, to be returned to you.”

“Reagan is not here?”

She still hid from him? How could the High King continue to support such clear violation of the laws?  Reagan belonged with him, not the goblins. 

“She does not choose to return to you.”

Galen flinched as though struck. Reagan had sent their child to him, but did not return herself? She truly wished to stay hidden from him, so much so that she would abandon her own son?

“You must tell me where she is, Haldrin. I can make her see reason.”

He could show her how necessary she was if he could find her.

“She has the right to challenge your claim on her, Haldrin; your son is of an age where her presence is no longer necessary. If she wishes to leave him she may do so.”

“Please, Haldrin.” He was not above begging the High King for his wife’s whereabouts.  He had to find her.  He could make her understand if only he could find her.  “Please, just tell me where she is.  I can—“

“I do not know where she is, Galen.”

If Haldrin didn’t know where she was, then she must be Above: a place he could not travel.  He could not accept that she was truly gone. 

“Take your child, and return to your home. Forget about Reagan.  She is not coming back.”

“She is my wife.”

“Not by her own choice and only because of your crimes against her. If she does not choose to return to you, the High Throne will not attempt to force her.”

XXXXXXXXXXX

Norah was waiting for him when he returned, and her eyes widened at the bundle in his arms.

“What--?”

“Reagan surrendered our son to Haldrin. This is Kale.”

“She surrendered--?”

Galen sat on the bed and laid the baby down, unwrapping him from the blankets confining him. He was astonished to see Kale’s wings and tail, and knew immediately why Reagan had sent him. 

“How can this be? No Dragon begins changing in infancy.”

It could only be the result of Reagan’s powerful Fae blood. He had to find her. He had to bring her home. 

“She is somewhere Above. You must find her, Norah.”

He would find her, of that he had no doubt. And he had a plan to ensure she remained here once he found her.  If she was home, he could undo all that Jareth and the others had put in her head from the beginning. Kale needed his mother, despite what she might think.  HE needed her.  

 

 


	25. Chapter 25

Reagan knelt over the toilet, muscles quivering as she expelled the contents of her stomach yet again. It was her fourth trip to the bathroom in an hour, and it was ridiculous.  Not to mention painful.

“That’s it, Carrie. I’m getting you checked out.  Get into exam room one when you’re done,”   she heard Dr. Ebert outside the bathroom door.  She didn’t even have the strength to protest as she held onto the porcelain bowl bracing her forehead against the coolness as she pulled the handle to flush.  She just wanted to curl up in a ball and die, and it made no sense.  She’d felt perfectly fine this morning. 

When she was finally able to stand without worrying she was going to vomit again, she washed her hands and quickly sanitized the toilet bowl before stepping out of the employee bathroom to see Sarah Ebert waiting for her.

“I mean it, Wilson. Get in that room and wait for me.”

“I’m fine, Sarah.”

“The hell you are. Now get in there, and don’t you dare step a foot out until I clear you.  If you’re really sick you’ll just be exposing all the patients to whatever you have.  What on earth possessed you to come to work today?”

“I was fine this morning. This just started.”

She wasn’t able to protest any further before she was bodily shoved into the exam room. Man but that woman could be pushy.  She had to wait a full twenty minutes before Sarah was finally back in, and ordering her to get up on the table. 

“What other symptoms are you having?”

“I’m telling you—“and she was cut off by the thermometer shoved into her mouth, which she struggled to speak clearly around, “I’m not having any symptoms. I don’t even feel sick.”

“Hmm…..you don’t have a fever. Any dizziness, headaches, blurred vision?”

“Sarah, I’m perfectly fine. I feel great apart from throwing up.”

“Any chance you could be pregnant?”

“Of course not, I—“

She stopped short. Jareth was a regular visitor, and they spent a lot of his visits in bed.  The separation was hard on them both, and they both relished the physical intimacy.  Could it be possible?

“I—“

“That’s the first thing we’re going to check then. Here’s a cup, go fill it. Grab a bottle of water if you need to.”

Sarah handed her a specimen jar, and Reagan reluctantly headed back to the bathroom. She didn’t even want to consider the implications of a pregnancy.  She returned minutes later, specimen collected, and handed it to Sarah.  The wait while the lab ran the test was agonizing. 

“Well, congratulations, Carrie. You’re pregnant.”

Reagan fought to make sure her legs didn’t buckle under her. She couldn’t believe it. 

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. You’re going to be a mommy.”

She leaned against the table, sagging under the news. She was going to have a baby, and this time she knew for sure whose it was. 

“Jareth, you should be here to find this out with me.”

“Did you just say Jareth?”

Sarah was now staring at her like she’d grown a second head.

“Um, yeah. That’s my husband’s name.  He’s away right now.”

“What are you doing here?”

It was Reagan’s turn to look at Sarah.

“Where else should I be?”

“You should be Underground, with Jareth. What is a Fae doing Above?”

“I—I’m not—“

How did Sarah know all this? The doctor looked completely human, and Reagan could detect no trace of magic in her.

“I could tell the moment I saw you that there was something otherworldly about you, but I figured that was your business. But I never thought that Jareth’s wife would be working in my clinic.”

“How do you know Jareth?” Reagan finally found her voice enough to ask that very important question.  If Sarah had wished away a child, which was the only way she could imagine the woman made it Underground, she shouldn’t have remembered anything when she was sent back Above. 

“It’s a long story,” the doctor answered, glancing at the clock. “Why don’t we grab some lunch?  I’m thinking you should probably try some soup and crackers if you’re still feeling nauseous.”

Reagan didn’t know how it happened, but she found herself sitting across from Sarah in a booth at the restaurant they frequently ordered take-out from. Soup did sound good; especially since she wasn’t sure she would be able to keep anything else down. Sarah didn’t start her story until the waiter had come with their food and gone.

“When I was sixteen I was a bit of a brat. I had that ‘it’s all about me’ complex most teenagers have, and a healthy dose of ‘my stepmother is an evil witch’.  One night I get so fed up with babysitting my baby brother that I actually wished him away; and of course Jareth showed up and I found out that my little book was true.”

“But—you’re here. How do you remember--?  He said that no one who got sent back remembered.”

“I didn’t get sent back. I beat his game.  I won my brother back. Toby’s working on his Master’s in English Literature at UCLA.”

“You were the runner who won.” Reagan stated in disbelief.  That was unbelievable, that she was sitting across from the only other person to actually beat the Labyrinth.  She took a sip of her soup as her stomach rumbled, finally feeling the tiniest bit of hunger.  Sarah let her eat in silence for a few minutes before asking questions of her own.

“So what’s your story? How do you end up married to Jareth?  Honestly, looking back on it as an adult, I kind of thought he was gay, with those tight pants that were more like pantyhose.”

Reagan bit back a laugh, as she’d briefly had the same thought.

“You may not have known that Jareth had a brother, but if you want to talk drag queens, you really should see Melot. His mother says he means well, but he’s an arrogant ass. He tricked me into reading the line from that little book that would wish away my nephew, and then kept me from saying the words that would let us come home.  I offered to stay Underground in Cole’s place. My real name is Reagan, not Carrie.”

“And how did you end up married to Jareth? And then end up here?”

“A king of another kingdom tried to force me to marry him, claiming that because I found something they’d been missing for centuries I belonged to him. I chose to marry Jareth instead.  It worked for the rest of the Fae, I think, but Galen kidnapped me to try to force me to—I wasn’t lying when I said I had a baby, but my child isn’t Jareth’s.  Jareth sent us back here to get away from Galen. Because of some archaic law concerning royal newborns he would have been able to make me go back with him, and I refused to do it.”

“That’s ridiculous! What would stop someone from trying the same thing to force a woman to marry them?  The man should have been imprisoned!”

“I’m not entirely clear on it myself, because Underground law is kind of a mess, but there was a power change when all of this was going on, and crimes committed under a previous High King couldn’t be punished by the new High King unless it was a crime against the High Throne. The previous High King had fully supported my abduction, so he did nothing about it, and the new High King couldn’t.”

 She was surprised she was even able to get that much of the story out. She’d never spoken of it, except with Jareth.  She actually felt better for talking to someone. Sarah was staring at her in wide-eyed incredulity.

“I would never believe it if I didn’t know it could actually happen. It sounds like a bad soap opera.  But the baby you carry now?”

“Jareth’s. There’s no other possibility, thank God.”

She would tell him tonight, as soon as he could come to her. He deserved to know that he was going to be a father.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jareth was ready to do murder. He’d been forced to ignore Reagan’s summons because of the meeting Haldrin called with all kings.  Only Galen refused to attend, but he couldn’t lament that fact.  It was actually a good thing the Dragon was not in attendance, as they were debating removing the law that Galen had exploited to try to keep Reagan.

While he considered it progress that the majority of those present had agreed that the law was unfair, and had the potential to do more damage than good, it had been left to the High Council to debate. While that was only expected, it was also disheartening.  The High Council was not known for expedience.  He fully expected that the debate over this law would take at least two decades to resolve. If they were not going to put an end to this ridiculous law, the least they could do was allow him to get to his wife.

After the interminable meeting finally ended, Jareth was finally able to make his way Above. His worry for Reagan had only grown through the meeting. Her call had been so urgent, and he’d been unable to respond.  What if something happened?  He couldn’t discount the possibility that Norah had found her, or that there had been some accident.  Accidents happened Above all the time.

“Reagan?”

“In the kitchen!”

He followed the sound of her voice to find her standing in front of the oven. She was baking something?

“Is everything alright? Your message sounded urgent.”

“Everything’s fine, but it is urgent. Give me just one second.”

He was stunned when she turned her back on him, effectively ignoring him as she reached for a potholder and removed cookie sheets from the oven.   He was further ignored as she used a spatula to remove the cookies and lay them on cooling racks.  Was she upset that he hadn’t come immediately?

“Sorry about that,” she apologized when she finally turned to face him. “If they don’t come off the pans immediately they stick and then make a complete mess.”

She didn’t look scared, or worried, which he counted a good thing. In fact, he thought she looked almost happy, which only had him even more confused. 

“You needed to see me?”

“I did. I have news.”

News? What sort of news could she have?  Had Norah managed to find her?  He was aware that the she-Dragon was still looking for her: Galen still hadn’t given up, even though he had his child now.

“Well first, I met your Sarah. The girl who actually beat the Labyrinth; she’s a pediatrician at the clinic I work in.”

“You met Sarah?”

“I did. And we had quite the conversation about you. But there’s also this.”

 He watched as Reagan picked up a photograph of some sort and handed it to him.  He looked at it, but it was like no image he had ever seen.  He couldn’t begin to guess what he was seeing.

“What is this?”

“It’s our baby.”

He almost dropped the paper. Surely he had misunderstood her?

“What?”

“I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.”

“This—this is our child?”

“It is. I know it doesn’t look much like a baby at the moment, but—oh my—you’ve never seen an ultrasound before, have you?”

Ultrasounds were such a part of normal human life that it hadn’t occurred to Reagan that Jareth might not have seen one before. No wonder he looked so stupefied.

“Remarkable. What sort of magic is this that you can see inside the womb?”

“It’s no magic, Jareth. It’s science.  And it would be a long explanation.  But that’s our baby in there.  Sarah said I’m about three months along.”

“And you’re certain it’s mine?”

He realized that was the wrong thing to say before the words were even out of his mouth, but he couldn’t stop them. The look she gave him made him worry that she might send him into a wall.

“You think I would cheat on you?!”

“No! I only meant—I’ve left you alone here for so long. I would not blame you for finding someone to share your life with here.”

“Why? Because you’ve found someone to share your life with down there?!”

“Of course not! I meant the vows I made to you!”

“And you think I didn’t?! Get out!!”

“No!”

He wouldn’t run. Running wouldn’t solve anything.  When Reagan tried to storm past him he grabbed her arm.  The loud smack of her hand to his face resounded through the room, but he still held on.  They couldn’t put this to rest if she left, and he would not go back with such an important issue unresolved.  He knew how quickly things could deteriorate if left as they were.

“I deserve that, Reagan. But I’m not letting you leave, not like this.”

She glared at him, but stopped trying to get free, and he took the chance to pull a chair from the table and urge her into it. His greatest fear after sending her away had been that she would decide she was done with the Underground, now that she had the freedom to decide her life.  It would be entirely understandable for her to choose to start completely over without him, but it would be entirely devastating as well.  And now he’d made an absolute mess of what he meant to say, and he had to find a way to express it without getting smacked again.  If she closed herself off to him, he would never get through to her.

“I’m sorry, Reagan. I’ve been an utter ass.  I never thought you---I know how little choice you had in marrying me.  There’s been almost nothing that you’ve actually had a choice in, since the moment Melot laid eyes on you.  After everything you’ve been through, you have every right to decide you were completely done with anything to do with the Underground, and start over here.”

“Jareth, if I was going to do that, I certainly wouldn’t still be jumping into bed with you.”

“I know that. Forgive me?”

Reagan glared at him for a second longer, before she finally nodded.

“Thank you. Now explain this image to me.”

He still had a difficult time believing that mortals could produce images of a child still in the womb, especially one so young. She was barely three months gone and yet he could hold this image in his hands; he could see his child.  Reagan’s explanation was nonsense to him, but she seemed certain of what she was saying.  He would trust her word on it.  How the image was possible was less important than what that image meant. 

“Come home with me.”

She looked at him as if he’d taken leave of his senses.

“I mean it Reagan. Come home.”

“Jareth, this doesn’t change anything. Galen could still—“

“This changes everything!” he interrupted her.  “Carrying my child makes my claim to you equal to Galen’s.  And Haldrin has given his word that if you were to challenge Galen’s claim on you due to his crimes against you, the High Throne would not attempt to prevent it.  So long as this obscure law exists it must be applied equally to every kingdom.  Now that you’re pregnant, Galen could hardly protest our bond when he is using the same law to argue for the one he deceived you into making with him. You are free to come home, and he would be unable to force the High Throne to return you to him.”

“Are you certain?”

The thought of going back with Jareth was so tempting. She no longer really thought of the world Above as her home.  The idea of being able to go back Underground, to be free to do so without fear of Galen—

“I’m certain. I’ve been studying these laws since I sent you here, hoping to find a way that you could come back.  This is it.”

“I could go home—“

“You can come home. Please do it, Reagan.  I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed having you with me.”

“I’ll have to let Sarah know; she’ll wonder what happened if I just disappear.”

“We’ll do whatever you need. Just say you’ll come home with me.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Sarah walked into her office the next morning to find a very familiar crystal sitting on her desk. It could easily be mistaken for a paperweight, but she knew before she even picked it up exactly what it was.  She just hoped this one wouldn’t turn into a snake on her like the last one Jareth had given her. 

She nearly yelped when the crystal dissolved into a sheet of parchment as soon as she touched it. When nothing else happened, she gingerly picked it up and stared at the feminine writing.  This wasn’t Jareth’s hand; that much she was sure of.  She smiled as she read the contents, wishing Reagan luck as she stepped back out into the lobby to tell Michelle that they would need to find another receptionist.  She had a feeling that “Carrie” wouldn’t be back any time soon.   

 

 

 


	26. Chapter 26

“Sarah, wait!”

Reagan called for her oldest daughter as the young woman hurried ahead. There were far too many people around for Sarah to simply take off. Reagan had gained a new appreciation for immortality when after a century in mortal terms Sarah was very much still a teenager and determined to test her limits.  She was most definitely Jareth’s daughter. 

Reagan simply gave Draco a mental nod, and the dragon who’d been circling overhead swooped down and picked the running girl up with an expert precision that spoke of too many occasions where extracting her was a necessity. Other Fae hurried out of the way, some of them throwing themselves out of the way, as the dragon descended in their midst, but no one else was injured in the retrieval of Reagan’s daughter.  The girl’s outraged shriek was drowned out by the dragon’s warning growl, and all too soon she was returned to her mother’s entourage.  Reagan would have been happier without so many women crowding her, but she could hardly chase off her other offspring, and the women of the court always sought out the High Queen’s sister-in-law when they visited the High Court.  Eventually they had even become accustomed to Draco, so that the dragon no longer scared them away.

“Mother!”

Reagan ignored the whine of the golden haired girl who was carelessly dropped to her feet, and very nearly stumbled on her skirts. She knew Sarah was merely excited, as they avoided interaction with the other Fae races as much as possible, but it wasn’t like they would have to compete with everyone else filling the great hall for somewhere to stand.  Their seats were assured, being family members of the High King and Queen.  Reagan wasn’t going to get caught in the middle of the mob of people just to sit and wait until Saoirse and Haldrin made whatever announcement was so important that every kingdom was summoned. 

They finally reached the entrance to the Hall, and Draco flew off. He would be nearby, but Reagan wouldn’t dream of asking him to try to squeeze in with so many lesser creatures, as he called them, into what was already a crowded place.  She turned her attention to seeking out her husband, and found him in conversation with his parents.  Reagan nudged her brood in the right direction, mentally poking Jareth so that he was aware of their coming. 

“Reagan, my dear, you look absolutely wonderful.”

She accepted the compliment from Sylvan with a smile as she rubbed her growing midsection. This pregnancy was more uncomfortable than the previous ones, but thankfully she was near the end of it.  And she was resolved that if Jareth said one more time that he wanted another one, she was going to give him a magical vasectomy.  Most Fae couples had great trouble conceiving and bearing children, but not her.  Oh no, she’d given birth to five perfectly healthy children, and she was close to term with the sixth.  She was half tempted to curse Jareth for a day so that he could understand what she went through.  She could do it, too.

“What draws all the kingdoms out today?” she asked Saoirse as she sank carefully into her seat. She hadn’t seen this many gathered in over thirty years.  Her curiosity turned to mild concern when Saoirse wouldn’t answer her, and Jareth took her hand in his to offer support.

“Jareth, what’s going on?”

“Haldrin has an announcement to make,” was all that her husband would tell her as he gave Sarah a glaring warning to behave. It took several minutes for the crowd to settle, and Reagan spent the time making sure all the children were corralled.  Sarah in particular was doing her best to slip out of their seats, and Reagan readily handed the responsibility of controlling their oldest over to her husband.  Once her cousins joined her, she seemed more willing to listen and settle down.  Jareth and Saoirse would keep an eye on them, and make sure they did nothing to disrupt the meeting. Saoirse’s twins and Jareth’s oldest daughter had managed many spectacular interruptions during important functions over the decades.  Reagan was far too tired to keep a proper watch over them today.

The other children were much easier to deal with, at the moment. Reagan knew that was likely to change as they grew older, but Isolde was now seventy-two and still managed to behave like a reasonable person.  That certainly didn’t come from Jareth’s family line.  Rebecca gave them no trouble at all, despite Jareth’s occasional wish that she’d get into something just to prove she was his daughter, and Lorelai was happy so long as she could play with the goblins.  Reagan hoped this one was a boy.  Jareth really should have at least one son, so that he wasn’t completely drowned by estrogen.

When most of the talking had died down to only the occasional mutter, Haldrin stood to his feet and raised his hand for silence. At his nod, the doors to the hall opened, and Reagan had to strain to see who was entering with such ceremony.  The shocked whispering that spread through the hall as the visitor made progress to the throne told her that it someone most unexpected, and Reagan could eventually see two people.  She froze in her seat when she saw that one of them was Norah.   Jareth gave her fingers a squeeze in comfort, and to keep her still.  Everything in her was screaming to get to her feet and either run away or attack the woman who dared show her face.  She hadn’t seen her former friend in seventy-five years, and would be happy to never see her again.  She froze for an entirely different reason when she saw the other visitor.

Everyone was now staring at the royal family, and most especially her. A century hadn’t been long enough to stop the gossiping about her abduction, not with the scandal resulting in the removal of a High King, and her disappearance Above.  She’d hoped that after a decade people would get tired of the talk, but that hadn’t happened.  The fact that hostilities between the Dragons and the rest of the Underground races had picked right back up probably had a lot to do with that.  Everyone craned their heads, eager to see her reaction.  It was a good thing Jareth was holding onto her.

“Galen, King of the Dragons, is dead. Long live the King.”

Norah’s announcement was met with surprise by everyone. The female Dragon ignored all others as she fixed her eyes on Reagan, who refused to look at her.  Reagan was entirely focused on the young man beside her.  Haldrin raised his hand for silence again as the crowd’s agitation grew in volume.

“As the new King, I offer a permanent peace between the Dragons and the High Throne, provided we can come to agreement. I have no wish to continue the hostilities of my father.”

“It would please us greatly if peace can be reached with the Dragons. You are welcome to Court, Kale.”

Reagan didn’t process the rest of what was said, but Haldrin wasted little time in dismissing the others from the hall. They would be fed before they returned to their homes, in celebration of the coming peace, but Jareth hung back, making the girls stay back with him.  Reagan barely heard Sarah’s whine about never getting to do anything, as she couldn’t stop staring at the son she hadn’t seen in a hundred years. 

_“You cannot allow this perversion of our laws, Haldrin! She is my wife! Jareth has no claim!”_

_It had taken far less time than even Reagan had expected for news of her return Underground to reach the Dragons, and for Galen to come making demands. Only two days after going home, they were summoned to the High Court to answer the charges leveled at Jareth.  And this time it was no private issue; all the courtiers present at the palace were in attendance.  She’d been seated with Saoirse, while Jareth and Galen both stood before the High King.  It grated on her nerves that she had to let Jareth speak for her, since it implied that she was incapable of speaking for herself, but Saoirse had informed her that was the way of the Court.  A queen didn’t speak for herself if her husband was present to defend her, and it would be better for all concerned if she didn’t try to challenge that today. Still, she wasn’t sure she could keep that promise when Galen started speaking as if she didn’t have any rights of her own._

_“Your actions were a perversion of our laws, Galen,” the High King informed the enraged Dragon calmly, “and I promise you that had they taken place under my rule you would have suffered far more than just losing your throne.”_

_“But they didn’t take place under your rule, Elf! You have no judgment over what happened when Marek was king!  This, however, you must rule on, and it must be in my favor.  The Goblin King has no claim on a woman who is not only my Bonded wife, but the mother of my heir!”_

_“She was Bonded to me first, Galen, and by her own choice, not because of a spell. And as she is now the mother of MY heir, my claim is equal to yours.  And she has chosen to come back to me.”_

_For a brief moment, Reagan thought the Dragon had been stunned stupid at the very public announcement that she was pregnant with Jareth’s child. The entire court fell silent at that declaration, and they were all looking to the Dragon to see what he would do next. All except Norah, who stared at Reagan with a look of utter betrayal on her face. Reagan didn’t care about any of them, only the child that Nora was holding mattered.  The two months she’d spent separated from Joshua had been far more difficult than even she’d expected._

_“You lie!”_

_“I have no need to lie. The Healers will confirm it for you, if you wish.”_

_“Then he can have the child once it’s born, but Reagan is coming home with me, today. You cannot keep my queen from me. The child that already exists must be given precedence over one that is still in the womb.”_

_That was a low blow, and Reagan bristled at the implication that she didn’t care about her son. Saoirse’s hand on her arm was all that kept her from sending Galen into a wall for that accusation._

_“The child is old enough that it can survive without its mother. It is Reagan’s right to choose to leave you once the child can survive, and it is a choice she has made.”_

_The High King’s statement carried a note of finality that said that argument was over._

_“If I have to take her back by force, Jareth, I will.”_

_“If you make any such attempt under my rule, Galen, you will lose more than your throne,” Haldrin answered the threat with one of his own. Reagan found it incredible that Galen would dare to make threats in the High Court, in the presence of the High King.  He must be more than a little unhinged._

_“Your words are talking you out of peace, and into war, Elf.”_

She didn’t know what she expected, but he looked almost exactly like Galen. Only his eyes gave any indication of his other parent.  Those she saw every time she looked in a mirror.  As if he felt her eyes on him, he turned to stare coldly at her.  She told herself that she wasn’t disappointed; she had to expect that Galen would have poisoned his mind with his version of events.  The man who refused to allow her son to visit was not likely to be fair in his telling of what happened.  Her son was bound to treat her with antagonism, if not outright contempt, if he knew who she was. 

“This is my brother, Jareth,” Saoirse was making introductions, and Reagan dragged her attention from her son to the others around her.  She didn’t want to cause a scene if she could avoid it.  Jareth looked at her with no small amount of sympathy; she was sure he was reading her thoughts, a skill he’d managed to develop well during the last hundred years.

“I am well aware of who the Goblin Queen is,” Kale interrupted Saoirse, sounding far too much like Galen for Reagan’s comfort, “and while I appreciate your hospitality, I would much prefer to reach an agreement as soon as possible.  I cannot leave my kingdom for too long.”

“Of course,” Haldrin interrupted before his wife could respond to the younger being’s rudeness, “Jareth, perhaps you would be good enough to join our discussion. Saorise, if you would be so kind as to see to accommodations for our guests.”

The fiery haired queen looked as though her temper (and Jareth was well aware of just how her temper matched her hair) was about to get the better of her, but Sylvan put a hand on her daughter’s arm in soft warning. Emotions were too high already, there was no need to add fuel to the flame.  Saoirse managed to swallow whatever she was going to say, and gestured to Norah to follow them.  Reagan was almost relieved to leave the room and tense atmosphere behind.

“What was that all about? Why doesn’t the Dragon king like you, mom?”

Where to begin the explanations? By mutual agreement, Reagan and Jareth had decided not to tell the girls about their half-brother.  It wasn’t that she wished to lie to her children, but when they were young there was no way for them to understand all that had happened.  They knew, of course, that the Dragons were hostile to nearly everyone else in the Underground, but they didn’t know the reason for it, and so far there had never been reason to tell them.

“Mother?”

“It’s nothing you need worry about, Sarah,” Reagan heard Sylvan respond to her offspring, as she herded the others in front of her, “for the moment I’d like you to not be yourself and give your mother a moment’s peace.”

Sarah gaped at her grandmother, but said nothing further. Reagan was grateful to her mother-in-law for taking the children off her hands, gently suggesting that she get some rest.  She used the freedom to slip off to their apartment and lie down.  Her head was beginning to hurt from all the thoughts running through her mind.

“Reagan?”

The peaceful hour she’d passed in near oblivion was interrupted by the last person she wanted to see. Norah was standing in her room, hesitating near the open doorway to the sitting room.

“How did you get in here?”

“I can go wherever I want, remember?” It was asked with a timid smile that did nothing to put Reagan at ease.  She’d trusted that smile, once upon a time, and it had resulted in too much that could never be forgotten.

“What do you want?”

“I just want to talk. I’ve missed you, Reagan.”

Reagan pushed herself up so that she was sitting, and noticed how Norah’s eyes kept drifting to her stomach. Her hands dropped protectively in front of her unborn child.  Norah flinched at the gesture.

“I would never hurt you, or your child, Reagan.”

“You’ll have to forgive me for not trusting your words.”

“I won’t attempt to justify my actions to you again, Reagan. Galen is gone, can we not let the past remain buried?  We are still family, after all.”

The laugh that escaped was almost hysterical. Was the Dragon really so delusional as to believe that she could ever pretend to forget what they’d done to her? 

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“There is much to say, Reagan! You’ve been silent for too long! Not once in a century did you come to see your son!  I would never have thought you could be so cruel!”

“You know why I never came back! Don’t you dare try to put this on my shoulders, when it was the actions of you and your brother that brought us to this!”

She was growing angry, and had to order herself not to lose her temper. It would be very bad, politically, for her to send the Dragon King’s only relative into a wall, or worse, kill her by mistake. 

“Galen loved you, Reagan.”

“Galen loved the idea that he could save his race just by having me as his wife. He never loved me; he wanted to control me.”

“Was that really so bad? He cherished you, Reagan, and he would have shown you the same loyalty he asked for.”

“He made me a prisoner!”

“It was a prison of your own making. Our country was your home, and it was your inability to accept that that made the place a prison, not us.  Galen would have given you anything and everything you asked for---“

“Everything except my freedom.”

“We’re not human, Reagan. Neither are you.  The idea that our wishes are the most important consideration is a pleasant fiction, nothing more. Galen’s duty was to his people, and he did what was necessary. ”

“Get out, Norah. Now.”

She couldn’t take the other woman’s presence any longer. There was no justification for what they’d done, and that Norah thought she could excuse their actions was insulting. 

“Reagan—“

“I said. Get. Out. Now.”

Norah drew herself up to her full height, which was impressive, to tower over Reagan, who was still sitting. The Dragon was taller then she on a normal day, but when she was making no attempt to hide what she was, she towered over any non-Dragon.   Reagan refused to let the other woman intimidate her.  She would NOT cower in front of this woman.  Norah stepped back in surprise when Draco’s massive head stretched into the room through the open balcony doors.  He hovered protectively over Reagan, daring the She-Dragon to come nearer. 

“You don’t belong here, dragon,” Norah addressed him, “You belong with your own kind.  You should not allow these people to deny your freedom.”

Draco’s snort was an obvious dismissal of her words, and Reagan would have found Norah’s reaction to being disregarded amusing had she been in a better mood. As it was, she just wanted the woman gone. Still, she couldn’t miss the irony of the woman so ready to deny someone’s freedom to accomplish a goal preaching freedom to another. 

“He wants nothing to do with you, Norah. And it would be wise to leave now, before he decides to get really angry.  I won’t stop him if he burns you to a cinder.”

The She-Dragon finally seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation, and quickly made her exit. Reagan leaned against Draco’s head, feeling exhausted beyond words from the confrontation.

_“I don’t trust her.”_

_“Neither do I. She wants something.”_

_“If she tries anything, I’ll burn her to ash.”_

Reagan didn’t doubt that he meant it. The dragon had grown overprotective with each pregnancy, and it wasn’t hard to see how much she distrusted Norah.  That would naturally filter through to Draco, who made himself as much at home in her head as Jareth did.

Knowing she wouldn’t get any more rest, she slid from the bed and padded to the bathroom to check her appearance. If she was going out in public she wasn’t going to do it looking a hot mess.  Deciding that she was fit enough for company, she made her way down to the private dining room.  Now that she was awake, she was starving.

It was a relief to find that neither Norah nor Kale were with the family. She didn’t feel up to facing either of them at the moment.  The discussions must have ended, though, as she saw Jareth sitting at a table with their younger daughters, and Reagan moved to join him.

“Reagan? I thought you were resting.”

“I was. Now I’m starving.”

A servant immediately brought her a glass of water and a plate of food, and she tucked into it eagerly.  She felt as if her appetite was never sated with this latest child.  She didn’t remember it being so bad with any of the others.  She ignored Jareth’s eyes on her, and the worry in them, as she ate.  Whatever he wished to say could wait until she was finished; they’d long ago decided not to ruin a meal with business unless it was an absolute emergency.  Plus he’d never say anything in front of the girls. 

They were joined by Sylvan and Renault, and all talk turned to the impending birth. Sylvan had embraced being a grandparent eagerly, and that hadn’t diminished as the number of grandchildren grew.   She was excited about this newest child as she was about Sarah’s arrival.  Renault presented himself as distant, but the girls had him completely besotted.  Of course, Oberon was the same, doing his level best to spoil each of the children as if they were the only child ever to be born Underground.  It took all of her and Jareth’s skill and patience to make sure that the children weren’t unbearable tyrants from being so spoiled.   It was still a constant struggle with Sarah. Reagan almost hoped for a son just so that her daughter might learn something of her own insignificance when displaced from the throne.

“Where is Sarah?” Reagan asked as she finally noticed that her eldest daughter wasn’t in the hall. 

“I put her to work in the library, since she was determined to try to cause trouble.   The librarian will keep her in line,”  Sylvan answered, and Reagan felt better.  Castien had been the librarian for as long as anyone could remember, and could easily keep even someone like Sarah in line.  With any luck, he would find a way to exhaust the girl before it was time to settle for the night.  Reagan knew she wouldn’t be up to dealing with Sarah tonight, not as tired as she still was.

“Did Sarah tell you that she’s asked to stay here at Court when you leave?”

Reagan looked to Saoirse in surprise. This was news to her.

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her that she must have your permission to stay. I believe she was disappointed that her request was not immediately granted.”

Of course she was. The girl would be livid that she didn’t instantly get her way.  Reagan shook her head at her daughter’s antics.  She didn’t have to look, physically or mentally, to know that it was Jareth who laid a soothing hand on her leg under the table. 

“We’ll let you know once we’ve had a chance to discuss it, Saoirse. Sarah hasn’t mentioned it to either of us.”

It was a relief to know that Jareth was on her side, not that she ever had any doubts about that. There were very few times he ever overruled something she said, knowing that she had a lot more experience with young girls than he did.  Even having a sister for thousands of years gave him very little insight into the female of any species, a fault he readily admitted in private. 

“Of course. Reagan, the ladies of the court are speaking of giving another party for your impending birth. “

“No. No more parties.  We have too much stuff at home already, this child won’t need more.”

“If it’s a boy, you have nothing. You should let the healers determine the sex.”

It was an argument she’d had before, with nearly every member of Jareth’s family, who all wanted to know whether they could finally expect a male heir. Reagan refused to find out what she was carrying.  There were too few surprises left in life, especially in this life.

“The healers can find out when everyone else does: when it’s born. I haven’t found out ahead of time for one of my children yet, and I’m not about to start now.”

The careful discussion was interrupted by the arrival of Haldrin, who looked more than a little concerned over something. Reagan watched as a significant look passed between the High King and her husband, and  Jareth left them to huddle in a corner with his brother-in-law.   She started to worry when the concerned look passed to her husband’s face.

“What is it?”

“The Dragon King has asked to see you.”

Reagan froze.

“What would the Dragon want with you, mama?”

Reagan closed her eyes at Isolde’s question, at a loss as to how to answer that. She didn’t want to lie to her children, but there was no way to answer that question in so public a place.  The servants and few others present that weren’t immediate family were listening closely, while doing their best not to appear so.  To her relief, Renaud answered that it was probably some question he had about Draco, and Isolde seemed happy to leave it at that.  

“Reagan? Will you see him?”

“I will see him.”

She excused herself from the table and followed Haldrin to the High King’s private study. Jareth walked with them, but Haldrin stopped him at the door.

“He wished to see her alone.”

“That I will not agree to. I won’t have the boy do something to upset her, so close to—“

“I’ll be fine, Jareth. Why don’t you make sure that Sarah is still in one piece?  I doubt that even Castien’s legendary patience would prevent him from locking her away if she became too much of a nuisance.”

“Reagan—“

“I’ll be fine. If anything happened I could always call you.  Besides, Draco is outside; he won’t let him do anything.”

When it looked like Jareth would refuse, she gave him The Look that told him he was treading a very fine line. His own look told her that they’d have a discussion later, but he finally agreed and left in search of his oldest offspring.  Haldrin gave her arm a reassuring squeeze as she stepped past him.

“I’ll remain out here in case you need anything.”

She nodded her thanks as she stepped into the room. The door shut quietly behind her, startling her. Kale stood by the fireplace, not looking in her direction. 

“The High King made my speaking with you a condition of receiving assistance. He seemed to believe you might have something you wish to say to me.”

“There are many things I wished to say to you, but I doubt you would care to hear any of them. What assistance do you need?”

“Your Draco is the only one of the stolen eggs to be recovered. It is my intention to find the rest of them.  They tell me that you are a Caller.  We have no Callers in my country.”

“I will help you, if I can, after this child is born. I would never do anything to risk my children.”

He snorted in disbelief, a gesture so very identical to his father’s that she almost took a step back as he turned from the fire to look her in the eye.

“You just abandon them then, is that it? You find yourself another family to replace them.”

The venom in his voice wasn’t a surprise, but it still hurt.

“Kale—“

“You left us! Are you going to try to defend yourself?”

“I never wanted to leave you, Kale. You’re my son, I—“

“You left us for the Goblin King. Was his throne somehow more important, more appealing to you than ours?”

“That’s not true, Kale. I was Jareth’s wife first.  I was never with your father by choice, and I tried to take you with me.”

“You lie!”

Reagan shook her head.

“I’m not lying Kale. Your father had decided I was supposed to be his queen because of a vision that Norah had, not from anything I ever said to him.  I was already married to Jareth when he kidnapped me, and when I refused to accept what he’d done he gave me a potion that allowed him to change all my memories.”

“No.”

It was her son’s turn to protest.

“No, he wouldn’t do that.”

“He did, Kale. I was pregnant with you when I escaped.”

She wished they didn’t have to have this discussion. She didn’t want to destroy the memories of the only parent her son had known.  If it was possible, she would have never mentioned any of this. But it wasn’t possible.   Too much was known publicly, and ignoring it wouldn’t help anyone.

“I don’t believe you.”

“I don’t expect you to. But it’s the truth.”

It hurt, she couldn’t deny how much it hurt when he stalked past her without another word.

 


	27. Chapter 27

The sound of Kale’s footsteps reverberated through the hall.   He ignored the Dragons who looked to him in surprise.  What did it matter to them if he came back from the High Court early? 

That woman—that miserable excuse for a mother had accused his father of the worst crimes imaginable. It was ridiculous of them to think that he would stay after that insult.  How dare she try to excuse her abandonment by condemning his father as evil?  How dare she think that there was any justification for her actions?  She’d abandoned them all!  She’d gone off to the Goblin Kingdom to give that bastard Jareth four daughters!  Their race was dying out, and after only one child with her husband she ran away to give four daughters to another man!  

“Kale?”

The healer’s questioning voice slowed his steps. Thornweld was the one he most trusted, after Norah. Not even his aunt’s mate, Warhelm, held such a position.  Kale could not trust that one as implicitly as he did the others. The healer took one look at the young king’s face and directed him away from others, to the privacy of the library.

“What happened?”

“The woman lies, that’s what happened.”

“But will she aid you in finding the eggs?”

“She claims that she will after her child is born. Four daughters, Thornweld!!  We’re dying out and she gave four girls to the Goblin king!  And now she’s to have another child!”

The healer sighed as the younger Dragon ranted. He could only imagine the hurt Kale must have felt at seeing so many other children born to the mother who wouldn’t stay with him.  This was why he’d warned Galen against bringing her here.  He’d never seen good come from bringing an unwilling woman to their country and making her a prisoner.  Others could argue unceasingly that it was the only way to produce more children, and try to rebuild their population, but Thornweld saw up close the damage caused by those unions.  He could not name a single case where the woman abducted ever settled into a content relationship with her abductor, and the ever-present tension always bled into their relationships with their offspring.  It was even worse in the case of Galen and Reagan, as she’d managed to escape, leaving her son with the idea that he’d been abandoned, an idea Galen had done nothing to correct.  They should have known better than to abduct a woman already Bonded and try to force her to Bond with another.

“You must not hate her, Kale.”

“Why shouldn’t I?!   She abandoned us, and has the nerve to claim that she didn’t!  That my father would ever—it’s inconceivable!”

“What did she say, Kale?”

The healer had a feeling he knew. Norah’s hope that they would be able to conceal everything after Galen died had been a fool’s hope, at best.  Kale would find out the truth eventually, and it looked as though he’d found out much sooner than anyone expected.  Thornweld couldn’t blame the Goblin Queen, though, for telling the truth.  She was owed the chance to explain herself to her son, despite Norah’s objections.

“She said that father kidnapped her. That she was Jareth’s queen before they ever met. Father wouldn’t do something like that.  I know she was just lying to cover her desertion!”

Thornweld shook his head. Kale was nearly a hundred years old, but still very much a child in many respects.  The poor boy wasn’t ready for the responsibility laid on his shoulders, or the consequences of his father’s actions.  How he wished at this moment that Norah had never been capable of seeing the future, and that they’d never found Rebecca, Kale’s grandmother, once she escaped Oberon.

“I know it will pain you to hear this, Kale, but your mother wasn’t lying to you. It happened as she said.  She was already Goblin Queen before she was brought to our country by Norah and you father.”

“That can’t be true!”

“I’m afraid that it is. She was brought here against her will, and when she refused to accept Galen, he used a potion to alter her memories so that she would no longer object,” he offered the younger man a condensed version of events.  There was no need to vilify Galen even more by being explicit about his actions against Reagan.

“She should never have bonded with the Goblin King! If she hadn’t, none of that would have been necessary!”

“That was her decision to make, Kale. Not Norah’s or Galen’s to dictate. She was neither Dragon, or raised Underground.”

“So that makes it right for her to abandon us?!”

Thornweld sighed, and considered slipping a sedative into the young king’s wine so that he would sleep the night. There was no dealing with him in this state, when he was determined that he had been wronged.  Galen had done him no favors in raising him to think his mother a monster. 

“Get some rest, Kale, and center your mind on other things. You’ll find no satisfactory answer today.”

The boy would find no satisfactory answer until he accepted that his father wasn’t perfect, and that his mother wasn’t the villain that Galen had made her out to be, that they were merely people. That realization wasn’t going to come while he was still so angry.  He needed time to process everything he’d learned, and accept that sometimes there simply were no easy answers.

Thornweld left Kale to himself, choosing to return to the healing ward. He had things left to do before day’s end, and he was eager to return to his own bonded wife.  He counted himself most fortunate that he’d found a Fae woman willing to move to his country and bond with him.  Even if Tise had come only in rebellion against a match her father had planned for her, she had come willingly, and he believed she was happy here.

Kale returned to his apartment, still fuming. Thornweld’s words wouldn’t leave his mind, and they stung.  The healer knew better than anyone how their numbers still declined, and he railed against bringing in females from outside their race.  What other alternative was there, when they could not determine why females weren’t being born?  Were they to let themselves die out? 

The claim that his mother had not been here willing was disturbing; even more so that she’d already been bonded to Jareth. It was an absolute law, that only unattached women were to be claimed.  Would his father really break their law in order to bring his mother here?  It only took a second for him to admit that yes, his father would have done precisely that if he truly believed that the fate of his people depended on it. Norah’s visions were never wrong, so there would have been no doubt that his mother was supposed to be here, with Galen, if not for outside interference.  And they would have been right. 

“Kale.”

He looked up at the knock on the door, to see Norah standing in the doorway to the bedroom, Warhelm hovering behind her.

“What are you doing here? You were still at the High Court.”

“I saw no reason to stay there.   Little was being accomplished.  I have a gift for you.”

What gift could they have in his bedroom? Curious, he walked past them and froze when he saw a female in his bed.  It was the elf he’d noticed on his arrival to the High Court.  He looked to Norah, speechless, when the woman didn’t move.

“It is past time you took a mate, Kale.   I know how much you wanted her.”

He had wanted her. He’d wanted her the moment he laid eyes on her in the palace, one of the maids who followed the High Queen around.  He’d never seen such pale golden hair on anyone, and when she’d turned those lavender eyes on him, he’d been stunned.

“Is she—“

“She is unattached; we made sure of it. And I will see to the girl’s family; they will be compensated for her loss. She will make a lovely queen.”

He couldn’t help but agree. He moved forward as if drawn, unable to look away from the sight on his bed. 

“She should wake within the hour,” he heard Norah say before he was left alone with her, the door to his bedroom closing behind Norah and Warhelm’s exit. Once he was alone with the girl, he sank onto the bed beside her, tentatively carding his fingers through her hair.  

What had Norah given her, what spell had she used, to put the girl to sleep for over an hour? Had it really been necessary to do so?   He was reminded of what his mother said she’d been through, being taken from her home against her will.  But no, this would be different.  This elf maid was not his mother; she had no husband to come after her. And he was not his father: he would not attempt to overwrite the girl’s memories.  He would court her, and win her over.  He would make her a queen.

Almost exactly an hour after Norah and Warhelm left, Kale felt the girl begin to stir.   He leaned back slightly, easing his hold on her as she blinked sleepily, trying to shake off the last of the spell, or drug, that held her under.  He felt her tense, and knew the moment she realized she was somewhere unfamiliar. 

“It’s alright. No one will harm you here, you have my word.  You’re safe.”

He words seemed to have the opposite effect of what he’d intended. Rather than be soothed, the girl started trembling, and he pulled her back to him.   He almost wished Norah hadn’t left them alone.  He had no experience with having to comfort someone who’d been taken; he didn’t know what words to use to calm her. 

“You’re safe here, I promise. Do you remember me?”

He wanted to think that he had made an impression on her, as she had on him. Those pale eyes focused on his face, and if possible, the girl trembled more. It didn’t sit well with him that his soon-to-be queen should fear him simply because she knew who he was. He would have to make a point during his reign of restoring relations with the other races.

“You’re the new Dragon king.”

“I am Kale, and you are in my kingdom. What is your name?”

“Lauriel.”

Lauriel. A beautiful name, suitable for so lovely a maid. 

“What do you want with me? Why am I here?”

In answer he leaned forward and claimed her lips in a kiss. She was sweet, as he knew she would be.  He didn’t break the connection until she managed to get a hand between them and push him away.

“You needn’t be afraid of me, Lauriel. I would never harm you.”

“Then let me go home.”

“Please don’t ask that.”

He could not—she could not ask him to release her. He couldn’t--he wouldn’t send her home when her presence was the only bright spot of his existence.  He’d never looked forward to being king, not when he knew how impossible his task was and what it did to his father. His people were dying, and he had no idea how to save them.  He had nothing but his duty, until he discovered her in his room.  He’d wanted her immediately, but never given any thought to actually having her.  His concentration had been required for more important things than pursuing a lovely face.  To have such a fleeting thought become reality was more than he could have hoped for, and yet here she was.  If she left…….

“You can’t keep me here. My father will destroy you if you don’t let me go!”

“Your father?”

“My father is Larek, King of the Elves. And my uncle is Haldrin, the High King of the Underground.  If you don’t take me back immediately they will wipe your kingdom out of existence!”

She was a princess, then. Norah had not only brought him an elf maid, but she’d brought a princess.  This was even better news.  If Lauriel truly was the daughter of the Elf king, their marriage could prove the key to a lasting tie with the other kingdom.  And if she was Haldrin’s niece, that would only make the Dragon treaty with the High Court more secure. 

He knew their union would raise suspicions among those Dragons who thought he should choose a queen among their own people, but it would be worth it. The elves were commonly considered among the wisest of Underground races; if they worked together, surely they could help answer the problem of so few females being born. Surely the elf king would want that answer for his daughter; didn’t all women want daughters to carry after them?

“A true State marriage then.”

Her eyes flashed with anger, and something too close to terror.

“I’ll die first!” she hissed at him.   In answer he pulled her back to him, his hands sliding around her back as he slid down the bed and lay out.  In this position her attempts to strike him were nothing more than ineffectual swats; they were far too close to be able to land any damaging blow.  He held her tightly as she swung at him, cursing him, his parentage, his country, and everything living under the sun.  Her strength was no match for his, and he simply held her until she tired herself out.  

“I promise you will have a good life here, Lauriel,” he murmured into her hair as she shuddered against him, “I’ll make you a queen.”

It would take some time for her to settle in to a role at his side, but he was confident that eventually she would. And she would see that her coming here was for the best.  He would show her all that she might accomplish as he queen.  Their son would be the future Dragon king.  Wasn’t that better than anything she could hope to achieve at the High Court, or among the elves? 

L—L—L--L—L—L—L

Reagan winced as she stood to her feet, her back screaming in protest. She’d been sitting too long. She didn’t want another party; she had more than enough stuff for the baby, regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl.  If it was a boy she would just let Jareth do his thing and change the colors of everything. Next time Saoirse’s maids decided to have another party and use her as an excuse, she was going to get them.  She was good enough now; she could make them all think they were six year old girls braiding each other’s hair.   She moaned in appreciation as she finally stretched.

“Problems, Reagan?”

Saoirse, curse that woman, was watching her with no small amount of amusement, and she flipped her off. The Fae woman didn’t understand the gesture, even after a century, but it made Reagan feel better.

“This baby needs to hurry up, and stop taking its own sweet time. I swear, the next time Jareth so much as looks at me with that gleam in his eye I’m castrating him.”

“You say that now, but eternity is a long time to go without a satisfying romp with your husband.”

“Stop laughing at me, damn you.”

“You know that all of my ladies absolutely hate you for being able to conceive so easily.”

“They’re welcome to my fertility. If this keeps up we’re going to run out of room at home.  I’ve told Jareth this is the last one, so he’d better hope he gets his son.”

She looked around at the pile of gifts. The women had been generous, she couldn’t deny it.  Babies were an uncommon occurrence in the palace, despite the number of couples living at court, so when there was a pregnancy, everyone tended to go overboard in their gift giving. Luckily, this time they’d had the party in her apartment, so nothing would have to be hauled anywhere. It was too much to organize at the moment, so she simply waved her hand and everything disappeared into corners where it wouldn’t be in the way.  She would think about trying to organize it later, after she had a nap.  On second thought, she would let Jareth handle getting everything from the High Court back home. 

“I seem to remember you saying that after Lorelai was born, and yet here you are.”

“It took thirty years to get here. I’m serious this time; there won’t be any more. I can’t keep doing this.”

“I do understand, Reagan. I had two at once, and would wish that pain on no one.”

This wouldn’t be half so bad if Jareth would just let her go Above to deliver the children; then she could do so in the safety of a hospital, with ready access to epidurals. But no, he insisted on all of their children being born Underground, as that was where they would live. He might marvel over an ultrasound that showed an image of their child still in the womb, but he had no trust for modern medicine. 

“Mother!”

The shout preceded the sound of running footfalls, and both women looked to the door as it was pushed open and Alassë ran in.   It wasn’t one of hers, so Reagan relaxed; for a moment she’d been worried that Sarah had managed to get Lorelai into a mess again.  Last time, her youngest had been found hanging from a parapet by the back of her dress, dangling as though she wasn’t an inch from plummeting to her death.   That relief was short-lived, as Isolde burst into the room not a second behind her cousin.

“Mother, Lauriel is missing!”

“Define missing,” Reagan demanded, as Saoirse was occupied with trying to calm her daughter, who looked to be on the verge of hysteria. She, on the other hand, was far too used to the theatrics that came from having so many children, and had learned not to panic until the situation warranted it.  “Missing” among her children often meant that Lorelai had taken off with the goblins, or that Rebecca had somehow found her way into a part of the Labyrinth that hadn’t been explored in decades.  She was concerned that Isolde was so plainly worried, as she was the most level-headed of her children, but as Lauriel was not a direct relation to her, it wasn’t as personal a worry.   Besides, someone had to stay calm and find out what was really happening.

“No one’s seen her since yesterday.”

No one had seen the Elf girl in over a day? That sounded like more than a simple prank, or wandering off and losing track of time.

“Explain.”

“The last anyone saw her was right after dinner. She complained of a headache and went to bed early.  We didn’t think anything of it when she missed breakfast, but when she didn’t show up for lunch we went looking for her.  We’ve searched everywhere, but we can’t find her, and no one has seen her at all today.  And she would have left word if she had to go home.”

“We’ll check with her parents anyway, to make sure there wasn’t some sort of emergency.”

“And if she’s not there?”

“Then we start searching.”

It would do no good to start a panic if it turned out that the princess had been summoned home for some reason and simply forgotten to alert anyone that she was leaving. From the rather limited interaction Reagan had with the elven king and his family, she knew that the girl would be mortified to have the alarm raised if it turned out she wasn’t missing.

“I’ll go to Larek now,” Saoirse entered the conversation, shushing Alassë. “If she’s not with her family, Reagan, I’ll send word, and you’ll need to alert Haldrin.”

“Of course.”

In a blink, Saoirse was gone, leaving her daughter looking at the empty place where she’d stood with a jealous expression on her face. According to Saoirse, few of her Fae gifts had passed on to her half-elven children.  No small amount of resentment had risen from the fact that Reagan’s children could do things their cousins couldn’t do.  That expression immediately cleared from the young girl’s face as she returned to the panic from earlier.  Without a second’s thought, Reagan pulled the girl into a hug.  She might physically look like a young adult, but the half-Elf was barely eighty years old—a child among her race.

“It’s alright, Alassë. We’ll find Lauriel.”

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The bad news came only a few hours later, and Reagan immediately searched out Jareth and Haldrin. She found them in the middle of a meeting with the ambassadors from a number of the kingdoms, some of whom she recognized.  Both her husband and brother-in-law looked at her interruption in shock, but at the look on her face Jareth immediately excused himself and steered her out of the room she’d burst into.

“Reagan, what is it? Is it the child?”

She was too agitated to really find his concern over this pregnancy touching. It was common knowledge that each pregnancy grew progressively harder for her, another reason she was determined this would be her last child.  Women did still die in childbirth down here, so Jareth’s concern wasn’t unfounded, but it was currently misplaced. There was a much more important issue than what her child was doing to her body. When he tried to sit her down in a chair she pushed him away, and he looked at her in real worry.

“Lauriel is missing,” she informed him quietly. “No one has seen her since dinner time yesterday, nor has she gone home.  Saoirse went to Larek to check, and she’s nowhere in the Elven borders.  She’s disappeared.”

“Wait here. I’ll get Haldrin.”

When he returned, the High King was in tow, along with two others that Reagan had only a passing acquaintance with, but she thought the centaur’s name was Cadmus. She didn’t know the elf standing behind Haldrin, as he’d only just replaced the last elven ambassador.

“Jareth said Lauriel is missing.”

She recounted her conversation with the children, and Saoirse’s news from the elven kingdom. The men listened, their expressions growing more troubled as she went on.  Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Haldrin began giving orders.

“Cadmus, organize a search of all the grounds. Make certain no stone is left unturned, until you are certain she is no longer here.  Finon, I want you to determine whether anyone else has left Court.  If she was taken, we will have some idea who could have taken her.”

“Sire, the Dragons took their leave after your meeting yesterday. And there were those who noticed that the young king seemed to have a special interest in Lauriel.”

Reagan thought she could be forgiven for not immediately understanding what the elven ambassador was implying; it had been a long day even before the girls burst into her room. The horrified expression on Haldrin’s face was enough to clue her in to the fact that something was terribly wrong with that idea, but it didn’t take long to understand what that was.  Horrible as the thought was, she couldn’t just sit by and let an assumption become an accepted fact.  Focusing on one area only could have disastrous consequences for Lauriel if she was in another place entirely.

“Is there any proof of what you’re implying?”

“Do you, of all people, question the possibility?”

She immediately decided she didn’t like the new ambassador, and wondered if she should suggest that Larek send someone more suited to handling politics. If Finon couldn’t understand why such a veiled insult was the wrong thing to say, he had no business speaking for the other elves.

“Not at all. I question the wisdom of assuming that’s what happened without considering all other possibilities.  Lauriel’s disappearance could have everything to do with the Dragons, or nothing.”

Haldrin dismissed the others before the argument could devolve into a shouting match. Reagan was satisfied with hearing him order Finon to make careful note of EVERYONE who left the Court.  The elf looked displeased with the order, but nodded his agreement.

“Reagan, you must accept the possibility that your son did kidnap Lauriel. They still cling to their barbaric practice of stealing women for mates.”

A moment’s silence was necessary for Reagan to remind herself that it would do her blood pressure no good to explode at the High King, who was rightfully concerned for one of his own kin. It would give her great pleasure to remind him that barely a century ago, when it was the possibility of HER abduction being discussed, he was the very one to argue with Jareth that the Dragons were only trying to save their species.   It didn’t sit so easily when one’s family was involved, did it?

“I am fully aware of the possibility, Haldrin. I lived through it myself, if you remember.  But I’m also aware that there could be any number of other explanations for her disappearance that aren’t connected with the Dragons, and if we ignore that, it may take even longer to find her and bring her home.”

“You know she’s right, Haldrin. Every possibility has to be considered until it can be ruled out.”

Reagan found it only slightly concerning that Jareth was the voice of reason in this discussion. Ordinarily Haldrin was the most level-headed person she’d ever met, to the point of being infuriating.

“Reagan, you look exhausted. Why don’t you go back to the apartment and rest? I’ll join you once we finish with this meeting.”

The yawn she had to swallow down kept her from arguing with her husband’s suggestion. There wasn’t anything more she could do here, and she was tired.  Besides, knowing her daughters, it was likely that they would ALL be in the apartment waiting for her to come back and tell them what was happening.  With a blink, she disappeared, and Jareth bit back a sigh at her dramatics.  He was sure she did it just to spite him, after his suggestion that maybe she shouldn’t use magic so much as her pregnancy advanced.

“I hate to be the one to say this, Haldrin, but you should also be prepared for the possibility that if Lauriel was taken by the Dragons, it may already be too late. Kale may already have Bonded with her.”

He really did hate to have to bring up the worst-case scenario, but ignoring it would do no good. Lauriel had no bond with another.  If she was the Dragon king’s Bonded, nothing could break it. She would have the right to leave him, under their laws, but leaving him would not sever the bond.  She would never be able to form a bond with another without magical interference, and THAT their laws would not allow.  She might already be lost to them.   

 

 


	28. Chapter 28

“Has there been any word?”

Reagan looked up as the bedroom door opened and Jareth stepped in. Finon’s search of the palace had taken over a day, as Haldrin had ordered that it be done discreetly.  So far they had managed to keep Lauriel’s disappearance a secret from the Court at large, and they were hoping to keep it that way to avoid mass panic and confusion.   Jareth’s expression was enough to convey the bad news, but he answered her anyway.

“Cadmus has confirmed that Lauriel is nowhere to be found in the palace. And Finon’s search has ended.  No one apart from the Dragons has left the Court. There is no one else who could have taken her. You shouldn’t be doing that.”

He took the rather heavy bed curtains she’d been trying to re-hang from her, and with a wave of his hand they were in place. His hands shot around her waist and he lifted her down from the step stool, absently waving it away. Reagan bit her lip to keep from expressing her irritation at Jareth’s overabundance of concern (she was perfectly capable of hanging bed curtains, damn it!) when there were more important things to worry about. The news wasn’t unexpected, but it was still disheartening.  Maybe it was naïve of her, but she’d hoped that the abductions had ended.  It had been years since they’d last heard of a woman disappearing. 

“What will Haldrin do?”

“He’s calling for a meeting with the lower kings. They’ll be here in a matter of hours.  Larek intends to issue a formal declaration of war.  Haldrin will support him. The others—many of the other kings have simply been looking for a reason to destroy all of the Dragons.”

If the look on her husband’s face was any indication, Jareth was in agreement with them. Was he really so bloodthirsty? If anyone had a right to call for the Dragons’ destruction, it was her, but she wouldn’t see an entire people destroyed for something they were not all responsible for.  

“War? Can’t they—do they really want war so badly?  Can’t they try reasoning with Kale first? He said he wanted a permanent peace--”

“And then he kidnapped the daughter of another king! That is a poor way to make a claim for peace! No, Reagan, this was the last straw.   They’ve finally made an error that our laws allow Haldrin to address, and he’s not going to let this lie.”

“Nor should he let this lie. But shouldn’t war be a last resort?  Shouldn’t we try reasoning with them first?”

She didn’t want to see a war. There had been plenty of skirmishes between Dragons and others, especially Fae, over the last century.  More than one attempt had been made to get into their home, especially in the early years. Hadn’t enough people been lost already? Should those Dragons who opposed carrying off women, small though the group may have been, really be destroyed along with the guilty ones, simply for being Dragon? What of the women there, those who had been taken?  If Haldrin decided to raze the Dragon kingdom, they would be ending the lives of the very women they were so furious about losing.

“Do you really think there’s reasoning with him? Was there any reasoning with Galen?”

She paled, and he seemed to realize that he’d gone too far. If he was any less angry, he would never have said it.  Her hand rose involuntarily, as if she would strike him, but finally lowered.  He didn’t think he’d ever seen her so furious before.

“Galen was an absolute bastard, and I’m ecstatic that he’s dead, but Kale is still my son too. And I have to think that he can be reasoned with. And if none of you can be bothered to try to do it, I will.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! You can’t go anywhere when you’re one wrong step from going into labor!  I forbid it!”

“You forbid it?! I’m curious where you get the idea that you can forbid me anything!”

“I’m your husband!”

“My husband, not my master! And at the moment I wouldn’t be too sure about the first!”

When he reached out as if he would touch her, she did something she’d never done to Jareth before; she sent him flying into the wall. Too stunned to respond, he did nothing when she stormed out of the apartment.  She just needed to be away from him before she did something she might (or might not in her present mood), really regret.

_“Draco, I’m leaving. Are you coming with me?”_

_“I can still kill the stupid Fae if you want.”_

_“Maybe later. I have things to do right now.”_

Their first stop was a home she’d only grudgingly ever set foot in. The servants who first saw the massive dragon standing outside immediately ran for the master, once they recovered enough from their shock to move.  Reagan hated even the idea of coming here, but she couldn’t go into Dragon country alone, and Jareth wasn’t an option.  She would need the help to keep the other Dragons at bay while she dealt with her son.  She was willing to deal with the old man if that was what it took.  When Oberon stepped out onto the steps, his look of confusion immediately switched to one of concern.

“Reagan? You shouldn’t be travelling in your condition. Are you alright?”

“No, I’m not alright. I’m going to the Dragons, and I need someone to come with me.”

“Where’s Jareth? He would never allow—“

“He doesn’t ‘allow’ me to do anything, which he’s learning at the moment. I have to see Kale, now, so are you coming or not?”

“What’s happened?”

“I’ll explain on the way. Are you in or out?”

“I’m coming.”

He eyed Draco warily as he climbed onto the dragons back behind Reagan. The creature had never warmed up to him, and currently looked as if he would more happily eat him than carry him anywhere.  With a nod of Reagan’s head, and Oberon was certain a mental conversation as well, they were in the air.   He would have much preferred simply transporting.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jareth immediately headed for Haldrin’s study when he finally managed to pick himself up from the floor. He couldn’t believe that Reagan had attacked him that way.  She’d never attacked him before, not in all the years they’d been together. 

She ignored his demands to come back, and he could feel that she’d left the palace. Draco was gone, as well. It was too much to hope that she’d simply gone home.  No, she’d gone to the Dragons.  Even after he’d forbidden her to do so, she was putting herself and the baby at risk.  When she came back he was locking her up in their apartment, and he would get the Labyrinth’s assistance in tamping down her ability to transport herself, until after the birth.  She couldn’t take such risks; he wouldn’t survive losing her again.

He could only imagine how difficult it must be to try to accept that one’s offspring was a monster, and how much she would wish it wasn’t so, but if this foolish scheme of hers resulted in injury to either herself or their child, he would kill the Dragon himself. Until she was back, though, the only thing he could do about this situation was keep the others from attacking until she was safely away.  Haldrin would be furious at her, and Larek wouldn’t appreciate the delay in getting his daughter back, but they would have to give Reagan the time she needed to try to reason with her son.

L-----L---------L---------L-----L

Kale watched Lauriel as she fought to comb out her hair. She’d refused to speak to him after that first encounter, but that wasn’t enough for him to leave off watching her.  He’d tried to help her, but she’d jerked away when he reached for the comb.  He wanted to run his fingers through those long tresses again. 

She looked exhausted, and he knew she felt it. He was exhausted as well, but he at least hid it better. Neither of them had slept last night, as she refused to let herself sleep in his arms, and he would not sleep until she did. She seemed afraid that he would force himself on her, and that she must stay awake to ensure that it didn’t happen. 

As if he would do something so cruel. A Bonding was a precious thing; it should never be forced.  It was against their laws to violate a woman: physical bonding was to take place only with consent, after an official pledge.  He would never force Lauriel.  He would wait, as long as necessary, until she agreed to be his queen and gave herself freely.  It was bound to happen sooner or later, as she would not be allowed to leave their home until she was safely Bonded to him.  She would want to visit her family at some point. As queen, she would no doubt also want to travel with him, and visit some of the other kingdoms. Those things would only come once they were truly married, and she was safely bound to him.  He would take no chance that some other might try to lay claim to her.

“You must be hungry. If I send for food, will you eat?”

She ignored him as she continued to comb her hair, not even meeting his eyes through the mirror. Kale pulled the cord that would summon a servant.   He’d no idea how long ago she’d last eaten, but he knew she’d had nothing since Norah brought her, and that had been the previous day.  He wouldn’t see his future queen starve herself out of stubbornness. He would also have to see to new clothing for her.   That lovely summery gown she was wearing would do nothing to keep out the chill of the mountain.  She would need something heavier. It would be gratifying to see her outfitted as one of his people.  After a brief knock on the bedroom door, a servant stepped into the doorway and bowed.  No one would dare enter his bedroom without his express permission.

“If you have any preferences, I will see that they are accommodated.”

When she said nothing, he simply instructed the young woman to bring a tray of whatever was ready in the kitchen, and to fetch some warmer clothes. After a nod they were again left alone.

“You are welcome to make any changes to the apartment that you’d like. Norah can help with any ideas you might have; she knows where all of the furnishings are stored.”

He wanted her to be comfortable in her new home. She would have free reign to make any changes to their apartment that she wished. There was nothing here that he would be sorry to see go, if making changes made her happy. The glare she threw at him meant the hope that she would say anything was futile.

“You should also consider anything special you want included in the Bonding ceremony. I’m afraid I don’t know the customs of an elvish ceremony, and I would imagine they might be rather different from our own.”

“I’ll die before I marry you!”

He dodged the comb flying across the room at him. At least she was speaking again.

“No, you won’t. We’ll be married as soon as everything is settled with your family.  If you’d like, we can invite them to the ceremony.”

A brush flew next, and he didn’t quite duck in time. It hit him in the chest, and he winced.  Lauriel packed a lot of strength in her frame.  Did all his men have such trouble with their new mates?

“My father will kill you before he agrees to make me marry you!”

“He won’t kill me. Don’t you think he’ll see the benefit in a lasting peace between our people?”

More projectiles flew at him, several making impact. Kale gingerly touched a cheek, where he’d been hit by a particularly heavy silver jar.  That one would leave a bruise.   When Lauriel slipped off the bench he shot from the bed and picked her up, pulling her into his arms.  He couldn’t sit back and watch her hurt herself. 

“I’m not trying to hurt you, Lauriel. I want you to be happy here.”

A second knock on the door told him that food had arrived, and he propelled himself to his feet, carrying Lauriel with him, and stepped into the main room. Two trays were sitting on the table, and he set her on the couch, wordlessly sliding a tray over to her.  She tried to push it away, but his grip on the tray meant it didn’t go far, and her stomach mutinously chose that moment to loudly remind her how long it had been since she’d eaten.  She glared, but fortunately didn’t try to refuse the food again. 

Kale watched to make sure she was eating before starting on his own tray. He remained silent, and kept his attention on his own plate, hoping it might make her feel less threatened, and when he looked over again, she’d fallen asleep. Good.  She needed the rest.  Hopefully when she woke, she would be in a better frame of mind to listen. He set his own tray aside and carefully lifted her.  When she didn’t stir, he knew she must be even more exhausted than he’d thought.  He managed to carry her into the bedroom and lay her back out on the bed without waking her, and considered sliding in beside her to nap himself until he heard a thought in his head.

_“I’m in the throne room. I suggest you come, quickly, if you don’t want me to come to you.”_

He’d never heard thoughts in his head before, and would have thought he was just more tired than he imagined, but he recognized that voice. It was the Goblin Queen. If Reagan was here, the High Court must have learned of Lauriel’s disappearance. Warhelm’s negotiation with the Elves must not be going as well as Norah said it was. 

_“I’m coming.”_

He didn’t want his mother anywhere near Lauriel. It would only be worse for her to think she had a chance to leave, and watch it get ripped away. He wouldn’t do that to her.  After a last brush of his lips against her head, he transported himself to the throne room.  He was surprised to see that Reagan wasn’t alone.  Oberon stood with her, and Draco behind her.  If she was trying to be intimidating, he would privately admit that it was working.  The white dragon was far larger than any Dragon, and took up a good deal of the space.  Still, Kale chose to lounge on his throne, as though he had no other cares in the world.  He wouldn’t let her see how unnerved he was.

“Hello, mother. And what brings you to my home on this fine day?”

 Reagan drew in a sharp breath, and mentally counted as she exhaled.  If she was going to try reasoning with her son, it would be helpful to not yell at him first thing.

“Where is she?”

It was accusatory, but at least it wasn’t a full-fledged tirade; not yet anyway.

“If you’re looking for Norah, I’m afraid you’ve missed her. She’s on a diplomatic mission at the moment.”

“Cut the crap, Kale. Where’s Lauriel?”

“Resting. She didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Reagan felt her throat choke up at that. Was she already too late to free the girl? She’d hoped Kale wouldn’t be like his father.

“Have you forced her into Bonding with you?”

His eyes narrowed: he didn’t care for that accusation. She didn’t care. She wasn’t going to sit by and let what happened to her happen to someone else, if there was anything she could do about it.

“Who’s to say she isn’t here willingly? Not everyone finds us as objectionable as you did,” he challenged. Draco snorted, smoke unfurling from his nostrils, his anger growing in proportion to Reagan’s.

“Don’t play the fool, boy. This will go a lot easier on everyone if you let her go now.”

“You won’t take her from me!” he hissed at Oberon’s statement. Draco growled threateningly in response to the aggression leeching from the man on the throne.  Kale was forced to lean back as the massive creature put his body in front of Reagan’s.  Reagan bit back a sigh.  This was getting them nowhere. 

“If you could retrieve Lauriel, I’d like a word alone with my son,” she told Oberon, speaking softly so they wouldn’t be overheard.

“What do you intend to do?”

“What I should have done the other night: I’m going to be his mother.  Just, retrieve Lauriel and meet back on the surface in fifteen minutes.”

Oberon nodded, and with little more than a blink, he was gone. Reagan turned her attention back to the male on the throne, and reminded herself to calm down.  All males were pissing her off today, and she needed to make sure she didn’t take her anger at Jareth out on Kale.  Her son had plenty to answer for on his own.  She pushed at Draco’s massive wing, the part of the dragon easily in reach, the contact urging him to move out of the way.  Once he was moved, she could see the surprise on Kale’s face as it registered that one of his visitors was missing. 

“Where did he go?”

“He’s going for the girl.”

“NO! You will not take her from me!”

When he lunged from the throne, she lunged forward and grabbed him by the shirt. In a blink they were on the surface, and she dropped him. He shot to his feet, and she used her power to push him back to the ground.

“Answer me, Kale. Did you force her into a Bond?”

“Of course not! She’s going to be my wife, not my prisoner!”

“She’s not YOUR anything, Kale! She’s a person with as much freedom of choice as you have, not a possession!”

A surge of anger accompanied the surge of power she felt aimed at her, but Kale wasn’t as strong as she was. He made it to his feet, but no further, as she blocked every lunge he tried.  He could get past her neither physically nor magically.  When he tried to transport himself away she held him grounded. She countered every magic trick he flung at her; her goal being to tire him out so that he had to listen. 

When it became obvious that magic would get him nowhere, he flung himself at her with a roar of anger, and she again used her power to put him on the ground. This time, she held him there, and took a seat on the ground beside him.  She was going to have a hell of a time getting back to her feet later, but she was tired of towering over him.  They needed to be on an even level if she was going to get through to him. She’d learned that little trick dealing with her daughters.

“I won’t let you take her away from me!”

“You should have known you couldn’t take a princess with no repercussions, Kale. The elves want to wipe you out, and the High King is inclined to agree with them.  Haldrin isn’t going to turn a blind eye to your kidnapping women the way Marek did, especially not his niece.”

“I didn’t take her. And I didn’t know she was a princess, not until she told me who her father was. She was simply a maid in the High Queen’s retinue; that’s all I thought she was.”

Reagan was relieved to hear that unexpected declaration. If he didn’t kidnap Larek’s daughter, then Norah must have been responsible, and if they didn’t know who the girl was, then it was likely Kale had been impressed with a pretty face and Norah had simply acted on that attraction. It wouldn’t matter to Lauriel, or the High Court, since any abduction was an abduction too many, but at least it proved he wasn’t intentionally trying to instigate a war. This might still be salvageable.

“You can’t keep her, Kale.”

“A union between Dragon and Elf could help bring a permanent peace between the two kingdoms.”

“It could,” she agreed, “and if she’d chosen to come with you, this would be an entirely different conversation. But that girl was abducted, regardless of whether it was you or Norah that did it, and Larek isn’t going to accept any terms that rest on his daughter staying here against her will.  This has gone on too long already. Lauriel is coming back to the High Court with me.   If you haven’t forced a Bond yet, we might be able to avoid a war.”

“We’re not monsters! No woman here was forced into a Bond!”

“Don’t even try to claim that when that’s exactly what your father did to me! I didn’t choose to be here, I refused him, and he attacked me the first night I was here!”

Kale shook his head. That was wrong.  If his father had truly done what she accused him of, then she was right to hate him, but he wasn’t his father.  Lauriel would never be harmed by him.

“He wouldn’t dare! It’s against our laws! No physical bond is to take place until after a woman gives her consent in an official pledge.  Every woman Bonded to a Dragon has given her consent to do so.”

“Did Lauriel give her consent before Norah kidnapped her?”

He looked confused for a moment, but when he pushed himself up to a sitting position, she allowed it. If he made another move, she was ready to put him right back on the ground.  A twinge in her abdomen told her that the child wasn’t happy about the exertion, but she ignored it. Simply getting up from bed cause a twinge these days.

“No,” he admitted as he brushed dirt off the front of his tunic, “but she will if you leave her alone. Once she accepts that she’s not leaving here, she’ll give her consent. We’ll be married once she agrees; I’m not forcing her into it. Ow!”

The smack to the back of the head wasn’t expected, so he couldn’t avoid it. Reagan returned the glare he directed at her. Galen would have so very much to answer for if he was alive; she would kill him herself just for teaching their son that kidnapping was an acceptable means of finding a mate, and that imprisoning a woman would make her willing.

“I should put you over my knee for thinking that could ever count as consent. That’s a lack of options, and it’s still a forced bond! If a woman doesn’t refuse only because there’s no other alternative, it’s still rape.”

“No! I would never hurt Lauriel.  No Dragon has ever hurt a woman taken as a mate.  We don’t—“

“It doesn’t matter, Kale. It doesn’t matter that you’re not violent.  It doesn’t matter that you might treat her as the most precious person in the world, or that her body might physically respond to your attentions.  If a woman doesn’t give consent freely, it’s still a violation.  You are still causing her harm.  That’s something your father never understood, and I hated him for it.”

 “I am not my father.  I would never do to Lauriel what he did to you.”

“If you asked any other woman here against her will, I’d bet you they’d all say they hate their mates. Is that the kind of relationship you want?  Your wife hating you until the day one of you dies?   I guarantee you that’s what will happen if you try to force Lauriel to stay here.”

He visibly deflated, and Reagan almost felt bad for being so blunt. Almost.  Whatever his intentions towards the girl who’d been taken for him, he had to understand that it was wrong.

“I love her.”

“No you don’t. You don’t even know her. You saw that she was lovely, and you’re infatuated with her.  It happens to everyone, but it’s not love. Love is knowing someone as well or better than you know yourself, and putting them ahead of you.  It’s being willing to do what’s best for them at the expense of your happiness, not doing something that will hurt them simply to gratify your own desires.”

“I’m not trying to hurt her simply to gratify my wishes.”

Why could no one understand that? Lauriel was a princess, and it would only be expected that she marry into an equal position, which he was offering. Their union made sense from a diplomatic standpoint, if the elves could accept the offer.

“I’m making her a Queen. Our son will be a king. What could she find better in the High Court, or her own country?”

“She could find the elf she WANTS to be bonded to, that’s what she could find.”

“No. That’s not true. Norah assured me she was unattached. She wouldn’t bring a Bonded woman to be queen, not after what happened with you and Father.”

 “Not Bonded doesn’t mean unattached, Kale. She’s engaged. Betrothed,” Reagan amended at his blank look, “to an elf.   Their Bonding is set for next month, after his service in the High Guard is finished.  He wants her back, and he wants your head for taking her.”

“Let him come, then. I’ve never lost a fight.”

 “Except to a pregnant woman, just now.”

“We’re dying out here, and the other races would be happy to see us go. No female has been born in over six hundred years.  You say we’re being cruel to force women to come here, but what alternative is there?  To submit to our own extinction?”

 “I don’t suppose it ever occurred to you to ask for help?   If you want peace as much as you said you did, then it’s time to start working with the others.”

“And who would help us? The other races have had centuries to offer assistance, and they refuse!  Am I supposed to let my people die out?”

What other solution was there?   There hadn’t been a female Dragon born since his aunt; if they weren’t so long-lived, they would already be extinct.  Very few females from other races were willing to Bond with them, so what alternative did they have but to take them where they could? Were his men to never have families, and die alone, just because the other races objected so to their very existence that they refused to allow the species to comingle? Did she really hate his father so much she was willing to watch all of them die out?

“Do you really hate us so much?”

“You are my son, Kale. No one will ever love you as much as I do; as I always have.”

“You left us.”

“I didn’t leave you by choice. I would have given my life for you, but not even for you could I stay with Galen after what he did to me. Your father never asked the others for help, Kale, because of the eggs that were stolen.  Perhaps if he had, you would already have answers as to what’s happened to stop females being born. Once I have this baby, I’ll do what I can to help you find those missing eggs.  Don’t make his mistakes and keep yourselves cut off from everyone else.  You have a chance to be a far better king, and far better man, than your father ever was.  If you’ll take it.”

They were interrupted by the appearance of Oberon, and Lauriel holding onto his arm. Kale exhaled heavily at the look on her face. He wasn’t a complete fool, he knew very well he wouldn’t be able to extract her from Oberon’s clutches and return her to his apartment.  If she really did have an intended, she would hate him for keeping her here.  Reagan was right in that. 

“She’s free to go. I won’t keep her here.”

He could feel the moment he was no longer held to the ground, and immediately stood up. It had been a long time since anyone had been able to force him into anything.  No other Dragon had the kind of power that he had from his mother. 

He only momentarily thought of simply watching Reagan try to stand under her own power before he reached out a hand. As soon as she grasped it, he pulled her to her feet. It was a good thing she was so great with child, he thought ruefully.  How much worse could she have done to him if she hadn’t been pregnant?  She doubled over almost as soon as she let go of his hand, and he felt immediate concern.  She’d expended a lot of power attacking and countering him.  Had she done something to harm the child?   The curse she let loose indicated she was in no small amount of pain, and when she finally straightened, the front of her gown was soaked, and he saw a good deal of red that indicated blood. 

“Mother?”

Rather than answer him, she only sucked in another sharp breath, and he immediately scooped her up into his arms and transported them back into the mountain, calling for Thornweld as he laid her down on the bed. Something was very wrong.

 


	29. Chapter 29

“What’s wrong with her, Thornweld?”

Kale demanded answers as the healer went to his work inspecting the woman laid out on the bed. His hands hovered over her blood-stained gown, his eyes closed in concentration.   The Goblin Queen was in a very bad state.

“Get that white dragon in here, now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Do as I say, Kale, before we lose her.”

This was no time to be soft with his words. If they didn’t move quickly, they could lose not just the child, but Reagan as well.  He didn’t have the luxury of cajoling the young king into obeying his order.  From what he could determine, the child was no longer connected to her in the womb, and if it was not delivered soon, it would die.   But delivery required labor, and Reagan wasn’t in labor.  There was also the matter of her bleeding rather heavily.   If he cut into her to remove the child, he was sure he would only kill her faster. He had to hope the dragon could do something for her.

“I will do what I can to save you and your child, but it’s too dangerous for you to go back to your kingdom.”

He looked to the woman trying to curl in on the pain.

“Save the baby. Don’t worry about me.”

“I prefer to save all my patients, child. Besides, your husband would destroy us all if I let you die.”

A slight smile accompanied her comment of “Yeah, Jareth is a bit crazy at the moment.  Normally he’s quite reasonable”.  He gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.  She would need all her strength if she was to have a chance of surviving this. 

Kale returned not long after his departure, the white dragon in tow. The massive head and neck stretched into the room, while his body stayed outside, which was probably for the best.  He would need much room to maneuver. 

“Kale, I need you to fetch my assistant.   Torrin should be in the healing ward.”

He dismissed Kale from his mind, not even noticing when he disappeared from the room. His focus now was entirely on the white head staring at him with an angry expression, as if he was personally responsible for Reagan’s state.  He had to hope the dragon could be reasoned with.  He was no Caller, he could not see into the dragon’s thoughts.

“We are in danger of losing her and the child. Can you do anything to stop the bleeding so that we can operate?”

The dragon snorted, and hovered quizzically over Reagan’s belly, snuffling out what was wrong. A careful tear with his teeth separated the material covering her, so that he was directly sniffing flesh.   After a soft snort he swiped his tongue across the swollen abdomen, then a second time.  To Thornweld’s surprise, the blood loss dwindled to nothing after only a few moments.  That was one problem solved at least.  If only the second one could be solved so easily.  Reagan no longer bled from the child’s detachment, but the child was still inside when it needed to be out. It would still die if nothing was done, and very soon. When Kale returned alone, Thornweld very much feared that the Goblin King would have reason to see them all wiped out.

“Halleth was injured on patrol. Torrin cannot come.  I will assist you.”

“You will not. I need someone who can do as I say, when I say it, regardless of what it is.  You are too close to be of any use now.  If you would be useful, send for her husband.  He should be here.”

“I will go,” Oberon announced from the corner of the room he and Lauriel had taken to wait.  “You would be arrested the moment you set foot in the High Court, before you could even deliver your message.  I will take Lauriel back with me.”

No one was more surprised than Kale when the elf maid refused to leave with Oberon.

“I will assist the Healer. I will not leave the Goblin Queen like this. You can take me home once it’s done.”

“If you’re certain of this, I need you over here, now.”

Thornweld’s words spurred her into action, and she ignored both Kale and Oberon’s protestations to join the healer. He was pulling a bundle from his bag and set it on the table, opening it to reveal an apron full of wicked-looking instruments.

“What is that for?”

“Don’t bother me with questions, girl. Just do as I tell you.  Kale, I’ll need all the clean towels you can collect, and a large supply of clean water, and I need them quickly. Then I want you to stay away from here.  Meet the Goblin King when he arrives.”   It would be better for the boy to not see his mother cut open if they could manage it.    He waited until the young king had left the apartment to turn back to his patient, who was watching him with wide eyes in a face etched in agony.

“Reagan, the child must be removed from your womb if it is to have a chance to survive. I must—“

“I know what you mean, Thornweld. It’s called a cesarean, and they’re performed all the time Above.  Just do it.”

“We have no time to attempt to dull the pain. This will hurt.”

A shaky nod was the permission he needed, and he removed the sharpest knife in the bundle. Draco stopped him with a shake of his massive head, before breathing blue-hot fire over the blade, sterilizing it. A satisfied reptilian nod gave Thornweld permission to continue, and he looked back at the body under his hands. He would be as quick and efficient as possible, but no matter how quick he was, he was still slicing into a living body that didn’t have the benefit of any pain reliever.  Drawing in a calming breath, he drew the blade across Reagan’s stomach. Her scream could be heard through the entire hall.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

“I will not wait any longer to get my daughter back, Jareth!   We’ve put up with this under Marek for too long already!  How would you feel if it was one of YOUR daughters!?”

“I would feel the same way you do, Larek, and the way I feel now. I would want them wiped from the Underground for good.  But I still wouldn’t be willing to risk my wife’s life until I knew for sure that she’d failed at acting diplomatically.  If we can get Lauriel back without resorting to war, we have to try it first.  Or need I remind you that those were your exact words to me when Reagan was taken?”

After listening to the elf king rant in the same vein for nearly an hour, Jareth thought he could be forgiven for finally snapping back. He was as furious with his wife as any of them, especially for slamming him into a wall, and when she returned he was taking her home and locking her in their apartment until after the birth of this child.  And he’d wanted to see the Dragons extinguished far longer than Larek did. But once he’d calmed down, he’d also had to agree that Reagan had a point.  Kale wasn’t his father, and while abducting Lauriel was just as reprehensible, there was a chance that he could be reasoned with. And he would admit, privately, that it felt nice to be able to throw Larek’s own words back in his face and remind him that he couldn’t dispense with diplomacy just because now it was personal. 

“You have the boy’s aunt and her husband imprisoned, do you not? This might be as simple as a hostage exchange, if we give Reagan time to talk to him.”

“I will not release that woman! She’s the one responsible for Lauriel’s disappearance!”

The argument was interrupted by the appearance of Oberon in the study. No one had sought out the old High King, precisely because he was so personally connected to the new Dragon King.  It could cause too great a conflict of interest to consult the Fae on an attack on his grandson, and now his daughter.

“Oberon?”

“Jareth, you must come with me at once. It’s Reagan.”

“You were with the Goblin Queen? Where is my daughter?!”

“What’s wrong with Reagan?”

“It’s the child. Something’s gone terribly wrong,”  Oberon ignored the Elf king for the moment.  Jareth paled at the news, and the older Fae shot out a hand and grabbed him by the shoulder to keep him upright.  They had no time to lose.  In a blink, the two of them were gone.

L-------L---------L----------L------------L

They appeared in a bedroom to see Draco’s head and neck filling the doorway, and a man hovering over Reagan, a blade gleaming red in his hand. There was so much blood; Jareth immediately lunged for him, only to be grabbed and held by Oberon.

“What in the gods name are you doing to her?!”

“I’m trying to save your wife and child’s life, now get out so I can get to it,” was the far too calm answer he received.

He lunged again, and was only pulled back by the combined effort of Oberon and Draco. The dragon bodily lifted him, teeth gripping carefully, and carried him out of the room, only setting him down in a hallway.  Oberon had followed, and Draco growled at them both as if to warn them against trying to come back inside.  Indeed, he maneuvered his body so that he was completely blocking the doorway; there would be no getting past him.  Only after he’d cursed the dragon and the healer in every language he knew did he realize that they weren’t alone in what turned out to be a sitting room.  Kale was sitting on a couch, looking as upset as Jareth felt, a decanter of something very strong and very alcoholic in his hand.

“Thornweld is our best healer,” the young Dragon said woodenly, “if anyone can help her, it’s him.”

There were any number of insults just begging to fly from Jareth’s tongue, and an almost overwhelming desire to do violence, but he told himself that he wasn’t the only one concerned for Reagan’s welfare. The Dragon would be equally as worried. Estranged or not, she was still his mother, and he’d only recently lost his other parent. 

“What happened?”

“She kicked my ass, that’s what happened. But I can’t tell you what happened to cause this; I never laid a hand on her.”

Was he suggesting that there had been an opportunity for him to lay his hands on her, or that he’d even attempted to do so? If so—

“I didn’t take Lauriel from the High Court,” came the sudden confession, “and I know you won’t believe me, because of what Father did to Mother, but I never assaulted her, either.  I was going to marry her, and make her queen. I didn’t know who she was until she told me.”

He broke off to take a long drink, and Jareth eyed him. How much could they trust what this Dragon was saying?  Particularly if he was drunk.

“Her father will be relieved to hear that. But if you don’t let her go--”

“I’ve already told her she was free to leave. She wanted to stay and help Thornweld.”

At the reminder of just why he was here, Jareth sank down onto the couch as well. A healer he didn’t know had cut his wife open, and the damned dragon had removed him from the room.  How could he be sure the healer knew what he was doing? He should have brought one of the Elven healers with him.

“She said she didn’t leave me willingly.”

Was the boy daft? Was he really looking for reassurance now, when Reagan was likely dying? 

“You should have that discussion with her.”

“Will I have a chance to do so?”

Damn it, he wasn’t the one to have this conversation. He wanted no part of trying to comfort a boy who likely caused his wife whatever injury the healer was dealing with. He wanted to be in there, with Reagan, or even better, back home with a whole and healthy Reagan.  He wanted nothing to do with the damned Dragons any longer.  Only in his innermost thoughts would he admit that he simply wanted nothing whatsoever to do with Galen’s son.  However, he also knew that Reagan would castrate him if she ever found out he’d ignored telling the boy something that would give him ease on the subject.

“She very much wanted to keep you.   Whatever else you may believe of her, or your father, you should know that you were very much loved.  Giving you back to him was the hardest thing I think she’s ever had to do.”

His expression must have told the Dragon that was all he was getting, because no further questions followed. They settled in to wait, until they heard a loud roar and then the squall of an infant.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thornweld directed Lauriel to sponge the blood away, so that he could better see what he was doing. Reagan had fainted, which he considered a blessing for her.  That much pain would be enough to debilitate anyone, no matter how strong they were.  Two towels were already in a pile on the floor, soaked with blood.  He almost had it…….there!  He felt what he was looking for, limbs.  He quickly but carefully pulled the child through the opening.   The birth cord was still connected to that which had detached from the womb.  Everything appeared to be intact, which was fortunate.  He wouldn’t have to continue digging around in Reagan’s body to make sure everything was removed, so that she wouldn’t get an infection.  He immediately passed the baby—a boy—to Lauriel’s waiting arms and began the task of squeezing the womb to mimic the contractions of a natural labor. 

“He’s not breathing!”

The dragon moved his focus from Reagan to the child Lauriel was feverishly trying to rouse. After a careful sniff, he gave a forceful nudge to the unresponsive body and a loud roar that caused the young elf to nearly drop her burden.  The room was then filled with a squall that gave everyone reason to sigh with relief.  Thornweld wasn’t surprised when two Fae and one Fae-Dragon simply appeared in the middle of the room, dispensing with trying to get around Draco.  At least no one else would be able to do that.

“You have a son. See to him while I stitch up your wife.”

With that order, he dismissed the interlopers and again focused on Reagan. He would allow the dragon to finish healing her completely, but he would see her flesh sewn shut before he did so.  The dragon could speed the healing process, but Thornweld would close the wound with his own hands. With a steady hand, he drew thread through a needle and went to work.  After several minutes, his task was finished, and he stepped back to allow Draco access to her.  She would have to remain here for the next several days so she could be watched, as the bleeding would continue until all the blood exited her body. 

To his surprise, Jareth had already cut the birth cord and cleaned the child. The Goblin King held his son carefully swaddled in a blanket.  On second thought, it wasn’t so surprising.  Jareth was quite likely present at the birth of at least one of his children; he would know what to do.

“This room needs to be cleaned, immediately, so that there’s no risk of infection,” the healer directed his comment at Kale. “And she can’t be moved beyond that cleaning for the next few days, at least.  It is still too dangerous, until I’m sure she’s fully recovered.  I’ll stop back in to check her over in a few hours, but for now she should be left to her rest.”

He would give her something for the pain once she woke. He had no doubt that even if the dragon healed her stitches so that she was whole once more, she would still be in great pain.  Even a normal delivery was quite painful for a woman, and this was far from a normal delivery.  After that parting direction, he left the family to themselves.  Sorting out their difficult relations wasn’t his business, and he had other patients to see to. Besides, the dragon had settled his head on the bed next to Reagan; if anything was to happen that could cause her further harm, or if the males in the room got too out of hand, Draco would take care of it.

“If you take the baby outside, I’ll get her cleaned up,” Lauriel offered. Jareth looked from the tiny face of his son—he had a son!—to his wife, who was still in the remains of her blood-soaked gown.  That bed looked like a massacre had taken place in it.  He shook his head.  The healer had said Reagan wasn’t to be moved; he wouldn’t take a chance on moving her even to change the bedding.  With a wave of his hand and a muttered chant, everything was as it had been before the operation.  Only the ruined gown remained, because he had nothing on hand to change Reagan into, and he wouldn’t leave her unclothed.  Too many people would enter and leave this chamber while they were forced to remain here. 

“Oberon, if you could go to my sister when you return Lauriel, and ask her to bring something for Reagan to wear, it would be appreciated. We’ll also need a wet nurse for the infant.  I doubt Reagan will be up to feeding him quite yet.”

He ignored whatever farewells Kale was making to the girl he’d thought to take to wife in favor of focusing again on his son. The poor child didn’t even have a name;  he’d been so resigned to the expectation of another girl that he’d given no thought to a boy’s name. They would have to discuss a name when Reagan woke up.  He wouldn’t think of trying to name their son without her input.  Reagan had explained genetics before, when she carried Isolde, and that there was always a fifty percent chance the child would be male.   He might have to give more credit to human science, although he wasn’t sure he believed that it was the father’s genes that affected the child’s sex, or certain diseases. 

He only distantly heard the sound of a chest creaking open, and someone rummaging through its contents before it closed again, so he was startled when Kale shoved a handful of material in his field of vision.   When he focused on it, he could see that it was a robe, and that it looked like a woman’s robe.

“You can put this on her, until your sister arrives.   I’m sure she’d be more comfortable in it than that rag.”

“Where did this come from?”

“It was hers. Father kept all of her things. I think he hoped that one day she would come back.”

Jareth wanted to toss the robe back at the Dragon, just on principle.   But Kale had meant it in kindness, and he couldn’t bear to see Reagan covered in blood any longer.  Taking a deep breath, he handed the baby over to the other man and took the garment over to his wife.  She was so pale, he thought it was a wonder she was still alive.  Draco watched him as he very carefully lifted her enough to get the destroyed gown off her limbs and slip the robe on.   He tied the ribbons to close it so that she would stay warm; she needed extra warmth after losing so much blood.  If they were alone he would consider sliding into bed beside her to use his own body heat. 

The baby continued to cry, and Kale looked at a loss as to how to fix that. Jareth briefly stroked Reagan’s face and arms, to reassure himself that she was whole, before retrieving their son.  It didn’t sound like a cry of hunger, though he would be hungry soon enough.  It was more the sound of absolute disgust with being removed from the only surroundings he knew and being thrust into an unfamiliar environment.  The girls had all made the same sound at their birth.

“Shh, little one. Your mother needs her rest.”

“This apartment is yours, for as long as you have need of it.”

“Thank you.”

The crying finally quieted as he rocked the baby in his arms, swaying his own body from side to side. Reagan had done this with each of the girls; it was only fair that the task fell to him while she was unconscious. Not long after the rocking started, the baby finally slept.

“Mother says that you are normally a reasonable man. I—I would ask your advice before others arrive.”

Jareth turned to the younger man who had placed himself at Reagan’s bedside. The hesitance that accompanied that statement was unusual from the Dragons in general, and from Galen’s son in particular it was most unexpected.

“My advice in what?”

“I wish to avoid a war. I was serious in my words at the High Court.  I want a lasting peace between my people and the others, but the Fae in particular have been eager to destroy us for years, and I imagine the Elves are not far behind them now.”

It was gratifying to Kale, to see the utter surprise in the Goblin King’s expression. As insulting as the Fae’s opinion of his people obviously was, it was gratifying to be able to prove him wrong in at least one respect. And he knew he couldn’t afford to take offense, not when his attitude was shared with most, if not all, of the other races.  That was no way to make peace.

“You are correct in your supposition. Only Reagan’s coming to you prevented them from attacking already.”

“I thought her presence might be the reason for the delay. When Norah didn’t return last night, I fully expected an attack this morning. And I’m as certain I have you to thank for keeping the Elves away as I am that you only did it for your wife.”

It was a verbal challenge: would the Goblin King lie to him?

“That’s very true.”

“I am not my father: I don’t want war. How can we stop it?”

“To tell the truth, I’m not certain it could be stopped. Too many want retribution for their women being taken.”

“They would have preferred that we die out, then.”

“I think they would have preferred that you not resort to kidnapping. Your entire society is based around the idea that abduction and rape are a formula for gaining a wife. That may have been tolerated under Marek, but not under this High King.”

Reagan had said the same. But that did not ring true with what Warhelm and his father told him.   It didn’t ring true with the documents sitting in his desk.  He had evidence for his claims, and only their word that it wasn’t true.  Were they really unaware---?   It was no wonder his people were so hated, if the others didn’t know of the agreements made between Dragon and the former High King. They must really think that EVERY woman brought to this country was taken without anyone’s consent. 

“There is something you should see.”

He left the apartment for his office, wondering how such a secret could have been kept for so many centuries. Importing women from other races wasn’t merely tolerated by Marek; they had a charter giving complete permission to take mates from outside their own country.   The agreement reached between his father and the former High King detailed which families were willing to part with their daughters, for the right price, and which families were not to be touched.  Proportionally speaking, very few women in his realm could be said to have been truly abducted.  He was certain that Reagan would disagree, and that she would say it was still a crime, and he knew others, even among his own people (Thornweld came to mind), who would agree with her.  But the fact remained that while these women may not have given their consent to come, those who had authority over them gave theirs.  For the most part, the Dragons had broken no laws.  It would be a lie to say that it was true of every woman taken by his people, but it was true for a good many of them.

He retrieved the envelope containing the documents and returned to his apartment. He was pleased to find that the child was still sleeping. He could not bear to hear such cries, and to feel helpless to end them.  How terrifying it must be to know that you were responsible for such a defenseless life.  Without a word, he handed the envelope over to Jareth, and took a seat at Reagan’s side.  He would say nothing until the Goblin King read the documents for himself.

“I don’t believe it!”

The alarmed cry from the infant lying next to his mother drew both their attention, and Jareth immediately lowered his voice. Neither of them wanted to wake infant or mother.

“I don’t believe it.”

“I assure you, the documents aren’t forgeries. They are very much real.”

“I can see the documents are real. But I can’t believe that Marek would ever manage to keep something like this concealed.”

“Nor can I. I knew that others were angry over the loss of some of their women, but until Reagan said much the same as you, I’d no idea that this wasn’t known.”

“But you cannot think that even this is right.”

“Is it really so different among the other races?   Do not heads of families arrange matches for their offspring?  As head of your household, do you not have the authority to determine who your daughters will marry, when the time comes?   Perhaps, as a loving father, you would never consider sending your daughter to marry one she didn’t agree to marry herself, but that doesn’t mean you lack the power to do so, or that it would be against the laws of the Underground for you to do it.”

Jareth cursed. Damn that boy, but he was right.  Strictly speaking, he was completely within his rights to marry his daughters off to anyone he chose, regardless of their opinion on the subject, and according to these documents, that was what had been arranged for the Dragons. Oberon had, in fact, technically been in his right to give Reagan to him as queen, before she actually agreed to their marriage. Still, Reagan had agreed of her own will, and Jareth had witnessed many a negotiation fall through because the woman had flatly refused to accept the proposed groom.

“It’s not the same. Forming an alliance through a marriage is one thing, but this giving any Dragon permission to carry off a woman in exchange for compensation isn’t an alliance, it’s a sale, pure and simple.”

“I’m sure mother will agree with you, but one could argue that you’re talking only about semantics.”

Jareth was prevented from responding to that when Kale continued speaking.

“Taking a woman whose family did not give consent is wrong. I will not argue with you over whether this arrangement between my father and Marek was right, but it is what has allowed us to survive these last six hundred years. And I know that mother disagrees, and I’m certain you will too because of my father’s actions, but we do not steal women from their homes and then violate them; our laws do not permit physical bonding to take place until the woman has agreed to the union.”  

“And if a woman refuses, is she returned to her home?”

The Dragon’s silence was his answer.

“If a woman isn’t allowed to refuse, you can hardly argue that she’s making a choice to agree. Regardless of whether violence is involved, that IS still a violation.”

“Reagan is of the same opinion.”

“But you’re not.”

“How can I agree that one of my men taking a wife is a violation? We treasure our mates, Goblin King, because there are so few women here.  I can hardly say that is the same as an assault such as mother experienced.  What was done to her was wrong, but that is not how we treat our wives.”

Jareth supposed it was too much to hope that the boy’s opinion would be changed so quickly. He could hardly expect a century of bad teaching to be done away in a single confrontation.  Still, Kale had released Lauriel without the need for war.  Small as that act may have been, it was a step in the right direction.  If they could manage to avoid a war with the other races, perhaps there was hope that the Dragons could be reasonable after all.  Given enough time, they might even acknowledge that they could not continue their practices, regardless of the arrangement made by Marek and Galen. 

“I will do what I can to help prevent a war.”

If there really was a chance that they could avoid a war, and reach a peace with the Dragons, they needed to take it. If Kale went back on his word, or refused to agree to any reasonable demand, Jareth would be first in line to end him, but unless that eventuality presented itself, he would work to see peace restored. He rather owed that to the wife who still hadn’t woken, and the child sleeping beside her. Reagan would want the possibility that her sons might know each other.

 


	30. Chapter 30

Waking in pain was always unusual for Reagan. There was no gradual return from sleeping to waking when she was in pain; one moment she wasn’t in pain, the next she was.  This pain she felt was excruciating, but not nearly as bad as she’d expected to feel.  Draco must have had a part in that. 

More important was what the pain meant. It meant she was alive, and if she was lucky, it meant she now had baby number six.  The smell of powder and the scent that was uniquely newborn told her that she was lucky. 

Opening her eyes took more effort that she really had the strength to make, but she managed it, if just barely. The light was dim, thank goodness, but she knew that white-blond hair so near her field of vision.  They’d managed to get Jareth here, and now he was asleep, his head resting close enough that a lock of hair tickled at her nose.  And right beside that unconscious head…….   There was her baby.  She couldn’t see anything more than the head, as the rest of the infant was carefully swaddled, but the fuzz that covered the head was just the lightest shade of red possible, nearly orange. 

Suddenly, the idea of holding her child was the most important thing in the world, and she pushed herself up to—holy mother of—that wound wasn’t meant to be pulled!—to sit so that she could lift and hold her baby properly.   She had to stop moving and breathe through the pain of stitches protesting the disruption, her hand holding her abdomen protectively.   The baby let out an angry cry at being moved, which in turn woke Jareth.

“By the gods, Reagan, what do you think you’re doing?! You’ve just had your body cut open, you should be resting!”

“I want to hold the baby.”

“You’re not capable of holding anything at the moment, now lay down!”

She glared at him, but when she couldn’t stop him from pulling her back down, she had to concede the point. She was having enough trouble keeping her eyes open, the odds she could hold her child without endangering it weren’t good.  Fortunately, since he was up he climbed onto the bed beside her and shifted around until she was leaning against him.  Once he was settled, he lifted the infant into her arms, and held on to support her.

“We have a son.”

“A son?”

“A perfect son.”

He was perfect. Jareth loosened the blanket enough that Reagan could see his tiny hands and toes. 

“I bet you real money that orange hair will be permanent.”

Saoirse’s red hair had to come from somewhere, and there were a few redheads in her own family. The gene was definitely there.

“He’ll be perfect, either way.”

“Of course he’s perfect! Look at what we made!”

Heaven knew they weren’t perfect, and that in a hundred years they’d gotten quite a bit wrong, but there was no question that their children were among the many more things they’d gotten right. Reagan reached past Jareth’s hands to stroke the barely-there orange hair.

“We’ll have to think of a name.”

“He’s waited this long for it; he can wait a few hours more. You need to rest.”

“I feel like I’ve been asleep forever. How long was I out?”

“Seven hours.”

“That’s long enough then.”

“I think not.”

Despite her protest, Jareth took their son and eased from behind her, using one hand to tug her back down before laying the infant on her chest.

“Where are the girls?”

“I left them at Court, under Sylvan’s care. They’re anxious to see you, so you’d best rest up so we can go home.”

“You can bring them here, to see their new brother.”

“Never. I won’t risk them disappearing, and I want no argument about it. Our daughters won’t be forced into a Bond.”

He considered it a good thing she was too tired to do more than glare at him. He knew that declaration would anger her, even if he was right.  Any rebuttal she might have was interrupted by the sound of a heavy impact, and the walls shuddering.  What the--?

“Jareth?”

There was another impact, and another shudder. It wasn’t an earthquake; that much he was sure of.  Was someone firing on the mountain?  

“Draco, stay with them.”

The dragon snorted, and the massive head and neck left the room. Jareth scowled after the damned lizard, who even after a century only consistently listened to Reagan.   He needed to see what was going on, but he didn’t want to leave his wife and newborn alone, and it was still too dangerous to consider trying to move them.

“Go on, Jareth. We’ll be fine.”

He highly doubted she wouldn’t find a way to get herself into trouble without supervision, but had to concede that if he wanted to put a stop to this attack, he had to see who was behind it. After dropping a kiss to his wife and son’s heads, he disappeared, arriving on the ridge of the mountain.  He looked out to see an army of elves, and if he wasn’t mistaken he saw a number of centaurs as well.  There were Fae mixed in the group: he could easily pick out Tallis from the crowd, standing at the head of the army with Larek and Haldrin.   Jareth’s eyes narrowed as he took in a number of Fae whose names were on that agreement.

It was a catapult that was causing the damage to the mountain; four of them were spread out among the ranks. Jareth assumed a place beside his stepson as another catapult launched its boulder, bracing himself for an impact that never came.   With a deafening roar, Draco emerged from the mountain, catching and crushing the boulder with a single hind foot.  His next move was to collect and destroy all the catapults in one fell pass, very nearly taking out a large portion of the elves beneath him. Jareth smiled at the sight of Elves and Fae alike diving out of the way of the creature.

“What is the meaning of this?!” he could hear Tallis demanding.

“I would say that Draco takes personal issue with the fact that you’re threatening the life of his chosen Caller,” Jareth called down to the assemblage below.

“The Goblin Queen is there by her own choice. Her safety isn’t our concern.  He should take her home if he’s so worried about her.”

That declaration, overheard by Jareth, was enough to move him from his position.   The one who’d spoken nearly fell back in shock at his sudden emergence into the crowd.   He alone stood calm as Draco roared in indignation at the insult to his chosen person.

“The Goblin Queen has just delivered a child, and is in no condition to be moved anywhere, Vortigern. And I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself, before I take personal issue with your disregard for the lives of my wife and heir.”

He took no small satisfaction in how quickly the Fae backed away in the face of his wrath.   It was no idle promise of retribution, and everyone knew it.   With the power of the Labyrinth supporting the power of one who was already among the most powerful Fae, their kingdoms could be levelled with just a thought. And if Reagan, as Oberon’s daughter, decided to add her own magic to the mix, little of the Underground would be left standing. 

“So you finally have a son,” Haldrin commented, to the consternation of those who looked to the High King to oppose Jareth’s threats, “Renault will be most pleased to hear he finally has a grandson.”

“He will be less than pleased to learn that some had taken it upon themselves to end his life so quickly after his birth.”

Several around them paled at the mention of the retired Goblin King. Jareth’s temper didn’t come from his mother, after all, and as a retired King, with no responsibility for a people; Renault was much freer with his feelings and reactions.  Not to mention his wife was just as formidable.  Not all Fae were equal, and those with lesser power were rightly reluctant to anger those whose power was much greater.  Whether it was just or not, a more powerful Fae could easily wipe out a lesser one.

“I don’t care!” piped up a voice, and everyone turned to see a Fae who’d been mixed with the elves step forward.  Jareth’s eyes narrowed as he tried to recall the name of the man now facing him, fury written on his face.  The Fae wasn’t one that he saw regularly, which meant he wasn’t among the higher ranking Fae that he would normally encounter. 

“I don’t care what you say! I don’t care what the retired king might do!  For too long those creatures have been allowed to carry off our females, with nothing being done about it!  We only come here today because it was an Elf princess that was kidnapped!  I may not be as powerful or as important as you, but that doesn’t mean my girl means any less to me than yours do to you, and I aim to take her back home!  It’s not right, and I’m not leaving without her!”

There were nods and agreement from all around. The Fae was right:  it was wrong that no one moved against this insanity until it was a high-ranking woman that was taken.  It wasn’t as if the lower-ranking classes loved their children any less, and weren’t owed justice. Jareth mentally cursed everyone responsible for contributing to this catastrophe:  Kale, Galen, Marek (perhaps especially Marek), all of them.    

“No one is suggesting that you leave without your daughter. But think about what you’re doing.  If you destroy that mountain, you destroy everyone in it, including your daughter!  Is that what you want?”

The one who’d challenged Jareth stuttered at that, appearing to not have considered that possibility. Indeed, from the considering looks being directed at the mountain by a number of men, the fact that their own children might be injured hadn’t been considered by many. Jareth considered that to be an unfortunate consequence of being incited into action by emotional reactions.  These men, Fae and Elf alike, weren’t the first to do such a thing, and would certainly not be the last. 

“Haldrin, we need to speak.”

“Unless the Dragon is surrendering, there’s nothing to talk about!”

“It is a far more complicated situation than we believed,” Jareth continued, ignoring the outburst coming from somewhere in the middle of the ranks. The situation was already explosive enough without paying heed to those who only wanted to make it worse. 

“Let us speak inside then.”

Jareth nodded, and only a fraction of a second later they were standing inside the room where Reagan lay. No one would be so foolish as to dare launch an attack against the mountain while the High King was inside it.   And anyone foolish enough would first have to get through Draco.

“Why am I here, Jareth?”

Jareth picked up the documents he’d left sitting on the small desk and handed them over to the Elf.

“I’m assuming you’re the reason Saoirse didn’t come when I sent for her yesterday?”

“I wasn’t going to let her come when we were preparing for attack,” Haldrin answered as he accepted the offering and started reading through them.

“And I don’t suppose you could have waited until you heard from us before trying to bring the roof down on our heads.”

“I could not hold them back any longer, Jareth.   They want justice done, and I am bound to see it so.”

It was barely a minute later that Jareth heard the Elf utter one of his rare curses.

“This cannot be possible!”

“I said much the same, but it’s very true. What I’m wondering is whether these men are simply trying to instigate a war, and if so for what purpose, or did Marek act alone, and lie about their giving consent.”

Not that it ultimately mattered. Whether those who profited from the sale of their daughters were now trying to deny their part in the effort, or Marek had acted alone and volunteered those females to the Dragons, the end result was the same. The number of times the Dragons had broken the laws had drastically decreased, and while they weren’t guiltless by any means, there were far more complicated issues at hand now.  Seeing justice done would be more difficult than simply declaring war.

“That will be determined, and at once. But it does not change that there are those who were not on this list as having given consent who still had daughters taken.”

“No it doesn’t. It isn’t right that anyone was taken. But if this is a subversive attempt at war, then there’s a much larger problem that must also be dealt with.”

“Indeed. Do you really think that Marek might have orchestrated this on his own?”

“I think that might be preferable; the alternative is that there are men outside who sold their daughters and are now trying to instigate a war in order to either recover them or cover up their guilt.”

“What you’re suggesting—“

What he was suggesting would require a number of men colluding together for the last few hundred years, likely in the hopes of sparking a war between the Underground and the Dragons.   It would have required planning, and no small amount of manipulation in the Court.  And if he was correct, then they’d sold their own daughters into unwanted Bonds to further that goal, with no regard for their children’s lives.  What he was suggesting was nothing short of treason, if it was true.  

 If Marek had acted on his own, the odds were good that he was acting from simple greed.  If he’d entered into an agreement that these fathers were unaware of, the compensation likely went to him, and he’d used his position as High King to avoid any repercussions.  This would be so much simpler to deal with if it was only Marek.    

Jareth didn’t envy his brother-in-law his position. Let others covet the High Throne; he knew from first-hand observation what a demanding and difficult job it was, when done correctly.  This was only one example of the impossible situations Haldrin frequently had to navigate.

A small cry drew Jareth’s attention from his brother-in-law to his infant. Reagan’s eyes were closed, and he hoped she was sleeping.   She needed to heal.   He lifted his son into his arms and started pacing the room with him, hoping to lull him back into sleep.

“Oberon said she had difficulties with the birth,”   Haldrin nodded at the sleeping woman, his attention momentarily diverted from the scroll in his hand.

“I arrived to find their healer cutting her open to remove the child. It’s a miracle she survived it.  She can’t be moved for a few days yet, until the healer pronounces her healed.”

He didn’t think he’d heard Haldrin curse twice in a decade, but now he heard it twice in a day. Saoirse would be proud. 

“The boy doesn’t want war, Haldrin. Perhaps you can work that to your advantage, and have some of those captives released.”

“Do you think he would agree?”

“If it was the only way to avoid bloodshed, I think he would.”

Haldrin appeared to be considering the idea, which Jareth took as a good sign. The best solution for everyone involved would be to reach an agreement that would release some of the women who were here against their will.  Plenty of the soldiers waiting outside would want nothing less than the Dragon’s extinction, Jareth was fully aware, but it was in everyone’s best interest to avoid a war, and the extensive loss of life it would bring.  Draco alone could easily destroy a majority of the men assembled outside, and he would do it if Reagan’s life was threatened again.  No races numbers were great enough that a loss of so many would be considered acceptable.     If they could negotiate the release of women who were taken without their or their family’s consent, perhaps that would be justice enough to keep the peace.

“What will you name the child?”

“We have not yet chosen a name.”

“I would advise doing so soon, before all the relatives can inject their opinions. It would not be advisable for Renault and Oberon to declare war on each other over their shared grandson.”

“I’m in complete agreement. But I will not name him without Reagan. ”

His new son was a much more pleasant subject to discuss than the situation outside, which sat precariously on a knife’s point.

“Saoirse is most eager to meet her new nephew. If you wish to send for her again, I will allow it.”

“I would dearly like to see you try to stop her a second time. You wouldn’t have to worry about the Dragons or Marek.”

“I think I’d almost prefer that, truthfully.”

Jareth smirked at his brother-in-laws unease as he sent a crystal off to his sister. Saoirse was a formidable opponent on her best day, and being detained, and denied seeing her new nephew meant today would certainly not be her best day.   Haldrin should be afraid of what retribution he might face at home.  They settled into an almost comfortable silence as they waited for the High Queen to appear, and Jareth enjoyed the brief opportunity to relax.  He knew that all too soon they would be drawn yet again into the impasse outside.

“Your daughters are furious that you won’t let them come see the baby, Jareth,”  were the first words out of Saoirse’s mouth when she appeared in the bedroom, and she immediately took said infant from her brother as she shoved an armful of fabric at him.  Excellent, she’d remembered to bring something for Reagan to wear.  The glare she leveled at her husband was truly impressive, and Haldrin winced. Jareth decided to keep out of the line of fire, and busied himself with trying to nudge Reagan awake long enough to put on a dress and get out of the robe.  He gave it up as a lost cause when she only pushed at him and rolled over.

“I’ll deal with you later.”

“I will not apologize for ensuring your safety,” he protested.

“Imply one more time that I can’t protect myself and see what happens,” she hissed at him. He wisely did not rise to the bait, and allowed her to coo over Jareth’s newest offspring. 

“The girls will get over it,” Jareth addressed his sister’s complaint, “as soon as Reagan is healed we’ll head home, and they will see all they want of the child.”

Saoirse sank into the chair at the vanity, holding the infant to her.   It had been too long since any of them had dealt with an infant, and the novelty was renewed.  Finding softer curves to lean on, the baby quickly settled down, nuzzling into his aunt.

“It might be wise to send for a Centaur representative for your meetings with the boy, Haldrin. They have no connection with our family, and I’m certain that it would only be beneficial to have an independent third party.  You know as well as I that there are those who will say your connection to Reagan clouds your judgment.”

It was unfortunate that the break from reality was brief, but Jareth saw Kale approaching through the doorway. They could not put this off any longer.  An army still waited, ready to attack.  The forced halt might calm some tempers, but they couldn’t count on any significant number of them returning home.

“I agree.   Send for Cadmus, he stands with his men.  It would be best for all if you retrieved him yourself, Jareth.” 

“Of course.”

Within moments, Jareth was back, Cadmus at his side looking as though he might vomit.  

“Surely there were other options, Jareth.”

“None that brought you here so quickly, and time is of the essence.”

“You’re a sadistic bastard.”

“I’ll have you know my parents were married when I was conceived.”

“Stick to ruling goblins, Jareth. You’re not funny.”

L----L-----L-----L----L

Later, Jareth would wonder how it was that he was the one elected to oversee the collection of twenty-three Fae and Elf women from caverns containing bewildered children and irate Dragon males. A total of thirty one women had been identified by Kale as having been outright abducted from their homes, and twenty-three of them elected to return to their former homes.  Still, however he ended up as the supervisor of this enterprise, his task was much easier than Haldrin’s, who had to explain to the gathered army that they wouldn’t be fighting that day, and what agreements had been reached. In the face of that, he’d much rather deal with a few angry Dragons.                                      

_“You can’t expect us to go along with this!”_

_“If you want to avoid a war, then you will.”_

_The stare off between High King and Dragon king threatened to move past the five minute range. If the situation wasn’t so serious, Jareth would almost consider going Above and retrieving some popcorn.  This would really be most entertaining theater in any other situation._

_“You cannot ask us to—“_

_“I’m not asking. I’m telling you that if you wish to avoid a war, this is what it will take.  You must immediately release any woman who is not here voluntarily.  And this arrangement that your father had with Marek is over.”_

_“I will agree with you on the arrangement with the former High King, but I cannot agree to tell my men that they have to send their wives away. It isn’t right that they should have to—“_

_“It wasn’t right that those women were brought here without their consent in the first place!”_

_So far, only Jareth and Cadmus had managed to retain level heads in the discussion. The centaur looked to be positively entertained while Jareth just wanted to make sure they didn’t wake his wife, or his son.   They’d been arguing in circles for nearly twenty minutes now, and with Saoirse injecting her opinion they could easily go for another hour.  If they didn’t wrap it up soon, he would kick them out of the apartment so that at least Reagan could sleep in peace._

_“I told you before Lady, we believed we had consent from the heads of their houses!   And I still maintain that some sort of consent had to be given!  Marek couldn’t have done all of this himself; he’s not clever enough.”_

_The boy had a point. Marek was many things: he was charismatic, persuasive, articulate, but he wasn’t intelligent enough to have pulled off such a scheme alone.  He wasn’t capable of the subtlety necessary for such a scheme.  Marek would have simply made the agreement and told the Dragons to help themselves to whomever they wished and leave the compensation to him._

_“Even if you had parental consent, which I take leave to doubt, that does not give your people the right to take a woman from her home!”_

_“In what world, Lady?!   The same law exists throughout the Underground; that heads of families can arrange the Bond of their children, regardless of their consent.  You cannot claim that such is legal everywhere else but illegal for us!  So long as that law exists for others, you cannot eliminate it for the Dragons.”_

_This circular argument was almost enough to give one a headache. They’d covered the same ground repeatedly, but looked no closer to reaching a workable solution.   Jareth was very nearly ready to say hang the Dragon healer and take his family home; then they could tear each other to pieces if they chose._

_“Kale, listen to me very carefully. We are not negotiating.  We are discussing the terms of surrender that would be acceptable in order to avoid a war.”_

_“And I am not surrendering anything, High King or no High King! I am trying to keep my people alive, the only way open to us since the rest of the Underground chooses to see us all as devils!   I will not tell my men that they have to send their mates away to satisfy some Fae or Elf who has suddenly decided they no longer find arranging a match with us to be acceptable.”_

_“None of this is acceptable!” Cadmus finally interjected.  “It isn’t acceptable that a woman can be taken from her home without her consent, regardless of whether her family has given it.  And yes, the larger issue to consider is the fact that we have a reality that allows for that to take place, in any land.  But this, right now, is a simple question of how many men you’re willing to sacrifice in a war you cannot win, and what you are willing to do to avoid that.”_

_That a centaur was the voice of reason should have been a clue to the others that they’d gone far beyond trying to negotiate peaceably. Centaurs weren’t known as the most reasonable of Underground races, even if they were considered wise.    Saoirse was shocked enough by the outburst to fall silent.  Even Haldrin looked surprised._

_“Kale, if you are truly concerned with the survival of your species, consider that you will be needlessly throwing lives away if it comes to war,” was Jareth’s attempt to be more reasonable._

_“Any woman who was brought here without familial consent will be free to go,” Kale finally agreed after a lengthy silence. “But the offspring of such unions will remain here, with their fathers.”_

_“That is completely unacceptable!”_

_“Saoirse, calm yourself,” Haldrin ordered coolly, relieved to finally be in an actual discussion that might produce results._

_“That is my offer, Lady.   Any Dragon child will need their Dragon parent far more than the other, to ensure proper development.  You cannot demand that we do something that would put a child at risk.”_

_“You would force a woman to choose between her freedom and her child?”_

_“I will not force them to do anything. No woman will be required to leave this country. They will be free, as you demand.   They will make their own choices, and if they choose to leave here and have nothing to do with their children that is their choice to make.”_

_“Just as it would be their husband’s choice to work out with them any sort of arrangement to visit and spend time with their children, correct?”_

_Haldrin kept his hand clamped over his wife’s mouth as he spoke, to prevent another eruption. He would pay for it later, Jareth knew, but he agreed with his brother-in-law’s action.  Saoirse would only be happy with complete surrender of any abducted woman and her offspring, and that was ideal but unrealistic.     If they were to have any hope of resolving this, they must deal with the possible._

_“Of course.”_

_To his credit, Kale looked as if the thought of preventing any future contact between a freed woman and her child had never occurred to him. Hopefully he truly wouldn’t be that petty._

_“Any woman who wishes to leave is welcome to make any arrangement she can with her husband concerning visiting their children. I believe that most of my men would be quite willing to reach such an accommodation if it means their wives will return for a time.”_

_“If they are freed, they will no longer be the wives of your men!”_

_Saoirse had managed to sink her teeth sharply enough into her husband’s hand that he released her, and she was practically hissing in rage at the young king._

_“A Bond cannot be undone simply because you wish it, Lady. It is as permanent as any other Bond in the Underground.  Regardless of whether they acknowledge it publicly, they are still bonded.”_

_“They may still be bonded, but due to their lack of consent, it will not be held as binding outside of your lands. If they wish to form an attachment to another male, they will be free to do so.”_

_Jareth could almost admire the restraint Kale showed in not rising to that bait. Haldrin, on the other hand, passed the baby back over to his father, took his wife by the arm, and none too gently guided her out of the bedroom and into the main room of the apartment for a semi-private discussion.  Cadmus and Kale might not be able to hear them, but Jareth had no difficulties.  He did consider it rather a pity that he couldn’t actually see them, only hear them.  He was sure it would be quite a show._

_“Saoirse, you know that I always value your counsel, but you do not speak for the High Throne.   It would be wise for you to remember that.”_

_“You can’t mean that you would hold those poor girls to a Bond they didn’t consent to!”_

_“I do not believe that is what we are here to discuss today. Let us remember our goal, and accomplish it.”_

_“Our goal is complete freedom for those girls that were dragged off! And you haven’t even addressed those women whose family sold them here without their agreement!”_

_“Our goal is freeing those that we can and avoiding a war, not decimating the Dragons. And as despicable as anyone of conscience would find this, until the Council finally gets off their asses and changes the law, those whose family consented are here legally.”_

_“You’re the High King!”_

_“And I am still bound by the same laws as all previous High Kings before me! The High King is not omnipotent! A change to this law must come from the High Council, and you know as well as I that they’ve unfortunately spent the last century doing nothing more than debating this issue.”_

_“They have to be held accountable for their failure to act.”_

_“And they will be, but that must wait until we return home.”_

Truthfully, he was surprised so many chose to leave behind their children rather than stay. It was the same decision that Reagan had made so many years ago, but she’d been raised Above, with a different culture and set of values.  Most of these Fae and Elves had spent their entire lives being drilled on how important children were, and how they were to be treasured.  Abandoning a child was an almost unheard of occurrence in the Underground: it was the main reason Reagan’s choosing to return to Jareth rather than Galen had sparked such attention.  Yet these women were voluntarily leaving their children behind as they pursued their old lives. Either their Dragon “spouses” had treated them so badly that they were willing to leave everything behind, or they saw these children as lesser somehow.  

Perhaps he was being cruel: he knew how much it cost Reagan to leave Kale behind though it was best for him, and these women could well feel the same.  But some of them looked entirely too gleeful for him to give them the benefit of the doubt about their maternal leanings.   A few of those females he recognized, and he rather pitied the Dragons they’d been tied to for so long. 

“I’ll see you soon, Rygel, I promise,” the last woman on his list was making her tearful goodbyes to her son. The Dragon holding the child back stared at them all, stone-faced, and Jareth hurried the girl on her way.  He was ready to hand these women back over to their families so that he could wash his hands of this task and returned to Reagan, and their yet-unnamed son. 

The last of the women collected, Jareth herded them through the maze of tunnels connecting the caves together until they reached the surface. From there it was a question of maneuvering the steep trail down the mountain until they reached the bottom.  The closer they got to their destination, the easier it was for Jareth to hear Haldrin addressing the assembled crowd.   From the raising voices, a number of the men objected to leaving without what they considered sufficient retribution, but that was Haldrin’s worry, not his.  When they were finally close enough to be noticed, the argument was broken up by female shrieks and male cries of disbelief as children and parents were reunited.  As a distraction, it worked fairly well.

Not everyone appeared willing to let the issue drop in the wake of joyful reunions. There was still a significant amount of grumbling from men who weren’t occupied with crying over their returned children; men who appeared to disagree with the idea of offering any sort of help to the Dragons. His brother-in-law could have the pleasure of dealing with a mutinous mob spoiling for a fight.  He thanked the gods that he could never be High King, and have to suffer in the position Haldrin held.   While Haldrin had to launch an investigation into Marek’s activities, and those of the men whose daughters weren’t returning home today, Jareth could return to his wife’s bedside, and let the rest of the world rot if it wanted to.

 


	31. Chapter 31

“How is the investigation going?”

Jareth was surprised at the question. Reagan had spent so much of that day unconscious he didn’t think she knew of Haldrin’s investigation into Kale’s claims.  She hadn’t mentioned it once in the two days that had passed.  Saoirse was likely the one responsible for this.

Still, the fact that she was asking should be considered good news. It was the first thing she’d shown an interest in apart from little Nathaniel.  Visitors had only barely been acknowledged by the new mother, and any business was completely ignored.  The only thing she wanted to hear from Jareth’s family was how her daughters were doing without either parent there to watch them, and what they thought of the new baby. 

“Hello, Nathaniel. Have you been good for your mother today?” Jareth addressed the baby he picked up rather than his wife, holding Nathaniel to his chest as he sank onto the couch.  The family consternation over his heir’s name had been great, but Jareth considered it only right that the boy be named after Reagan’s brother.  Her mortal family should never be forgotten, though they were long dead. The nephew’s descendants were increasing in number, and he knew Reagan kept a careful watch over them, but she was detached from this line.  Her last connection to her mortal life had been her brother, and so he would be honored.

“Jareth?”

Oh, yes. He could hardly brush her questions aside now that she was not only awake, but lucid. She was improving every day, enough so that he hoped they would soon be going home.  The healer was quite satisfied with her current rate of recovery, and Draco continued to watch over her and the baby at different points in the day.  The dragon seemed fascinated with Nathaniel in a way that he hadn’t been over any of the girls.

“It’s going slowly. Haldrin has begun questioning the heads of the families involved, and most are quick to distance themselves and claim that Marek never consulted them before offering their daughters up to the Dragons. He’s sure that a good many of them are lying, but now we have to prove it.”

“Haldrin has to prove it, not you.”

The fierceness of Reagan’s tone startled him, and he looked up from the child he held in his lap.

“Reagan?”

“You don’t have to do this, Jareth. You are not the High King, Haldrin is, and it is his task to deal with this, not yours.  Don’t add this to your burdens, when there is already so much that must be dealt with.  Your place is with your family right now, not trying to sort out the problems of the Underground.”

“We can hardly ignore the issue now, Reagan, when you were so very instrumental in bringing it to this point.”

He didn’t understand her sudden desire to cut themselves out from the situation. If she wished to avoid dealing with this situation, she should not have inserted herself into it in the first place. He understood her interference, he really did.  He would have done the same if it was a child of his involved in this mess.  But she should have expected that once she interfered they wouldn’t be able to just disappear whenever they decided they were finished.

“Yes, we can!   What happened to me happened a century ago!  I wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone, and I applaud the move to release the captive women, but I don’t accept any responsibility for this situation!  If war has been averted, then we have fulfilled our goal, and it’s time to go home, and let others do battle over this conspiracy.”

“Reagan, what’s wrong?”

Reagan just stared at her husband as he cuddled their son to his chest. Could he really not understand her desire to be away from this place, where she’d spent months as a prisoner?   Not only the same place, but the same apartment where she’d lived under the delusion that she was Bonded to another man?

“I cannot stay here, Jareth. Why can we not go home?”

Oh. _Oh_. Jareth felt like an ass.  Of course she would want to be away from this place as soon as possible.

“You’re not yet healed enough to travel, Reagan. The healer said it would be a few more days, and even the Fae healers said the same thing.  It’s only been three days since you were cut open.”

“This place is killing me, Jareth. As surely as it did the last time.”

“This is not the same, Reagan. You’re no prisoner here.   I promise you, as soon as the healers declare you well we’ll be able to go home.”

When he saw tears in her eyes, he pushed up off the couch and made his way over to the bed. It took a small amount of maneuvering, but he managed to lie down and tuck Reagan against his side without causing Nathaniel to start crying along with her.

“No one is going to keep you here, Reagan. I swear it.  You’ll go home with me.”

“Do you promise?”

Her voice was small as she asked the question, nuzzling into him as she reached a hand out to the baby. Jareth dropped a kiss on her head.  What a precious woman his wife was.

“Nothing shall ever take you from me, Reagan. Neither you, nor any of our children will be forced from our home so long as I am living.”

“Good.”

He smiled at that, until a knock on the outside door interrupted them. He wondered who it could be.  He wasn’t expecting any visitors, and if anyone was trying to pull him back into business when he specifically ordered to be left alone, he’d send them into the Bog of Eternal Stench, even if it was Haldrin.

“Are you expecting anyone?”

“Hmm?”

“There’s someone at the door.”

“Oh, it’s probably Kale. He said something about bringing in some other Caller to see if we can’t try to figure out where those other eggs are.  At least I think that’s what he said; I was a bit out of it this morning after this one kept waking me up.”

“Are you certain you’re up to something like that?”

“I’m certain I can’t keep pretending the world outside doesn’t exist anymore. I’m starting to go stir crazy with nothing to do.  But I promise I won’t leave this room.”

The knocking came again, more insistent this time.  

“I don’t suppose I can persuade you to give this up for a few more days, at least until the healers release you?”

He knew the answer from the set expression on her face. Still, he decided it was better to not start an argument, so he slid from the bed and slowly made his way to the other room to answer the door.  If his expression was anything but welcoming to their visitors, well, he didn’t think he could really be blamed for that.

“I may not be able to stop her from participating in this foolishness, but if you do anything that might set her recovery back, I will take you apart. Is that understood?”

“Your threats are unnecessary, Goblin King,” the older-looking woman answered him, “we have no intention of harming the Caller. She will be perfectly fine.”

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t trust your word, but you’re not known to me.”

“With such distrust it’s no wonder others steer well clear of your kingdom.”

With that, the woman brushed past him, and Kale followed her into the bedroom.

“Tell me, Caller, where are the other eggs located?”

Reagan looked from Jareth, who looked furious, to the woman who’d addressed her, then back to her husband. He looked ready to commit violence, and she wondered what this rather rude woman had done to piss him off already.  He just answered the door seconds ago.

“I think I’ll take Nathaniel to visit his sisters, and leave you three to it,” Jareth chose to remove himself from the situation before it could escalate beyond simple dislike into open hostility, and he removed his son from Reagan’s arms. “If you have need of me, you need only call.”

Reagan worked to keep the smile on her face as he claimed a swift kiss before disappearing. She knew Jareth wouldn’t allow any harm to come to their newborn, but it was still difficult to just let him vanish.  It wasn’t as if he was just in the next room anymore, after all.

“If you’re quite finished mooning over the child, Caller, we have actual work to do.”

Reagan’s eyes narrowed at the tone the older woman took.

“You’re welcome to start this ‘actual work’ without me, and try to do it on your own, Caller.”

“You would abandon your own people to moon over a goblin child?”

“Dragons are not ‘my people’, or did you miss that memo? And that is MY child you’re talking about, so I suggest you watch your tone.  You people asked for my help on this, not the other way around.”

“Let us remember why we’re here,” Reagan looked to her son at his interruption, “we all wish to find the lost eggs.”

That was true. The sooner they found those eggs, the sooner this woman would be gone and leave her in peace. 

L----------L----------L-----------L

In the end, after hours of discussion and two days of arguing back and forth with the old woman, it was all too simple. The answer didn’t even come from all of their debate, or the Elf scholars that joined it.  It came from Draco, of all creatures.  Draco, the “lowly” dragon that the woman had the nerve to order out of the room as if he had no interest in the discussion.   Reagan had to wonder how the woman dared to name herself “Caller”, when she seemed to have no respect for the species she was meant to Call, and how she managed to go for centuries with that attitude.  It took the intervention of Kale, Haldrin and Thornweld to keep Draco from burning the woman to a cinder.  Reagan was more inclined to help him in that endeavor than try to prevent it. 

“Look, I don’t care if you can’t pull your head out of your ass and listen, it doesn’t change the fact that this mountain is dying!   You want to figure out why no females have been born since Norah, you have your answer!”

“You dare speak to me with such disrespect?!”

“Lady, you may be considered hot stuff here among the Dragons, but you mean absolutely nothing to me, so I’ll speak to you any way I damn well please when you won’t listen!”

“Reagan, this is hardly helpful,” Haldrin tried.

“You may be worried about offending the old woman, Haldrin, and I respect that, but I’m not. They have their answer from the dragon’s mouth, as it were, and she wants to ignore it just because it’s not what she wants to hear!  I have better things to do than sit here for another day and argue this!”

“She is one of our elders, Reagan. You must not address her so,” Kale injected only to receive a scathing glare.  Reagan didn’t care how old the woman was.  Age only went so far in getting respect, the rest of it had to come from actions, and Halea’s (or whatever she wanted to call herself, Reagan refused to add that ridiculous title she’d spouted upon introduction) actions spoke volumes. 

“This mountain has been our home for ages, and there has never been such a problem before. The dragon’s assertion is invalid.”

“And when did this problem of not siring females start?   After the eggs disappeared, and the dragons left the mountain, correct?”

She didn’t understand why the Dragons seemed to have such a problem with this, but once Draco told her, it seemed rather self-evident.   After the eggs were stolen, the dragons left the mountain.   After the dragons left, the mountain began to change and the birth rate of females began a decline that started out slowly, until they reached their current state where only males were produced.  

Even if they chose to ignore the science that she was only beginning to explore, namely that environmental factors were affecting the males, who, magical beings or not, were still responsible for the sex of the offspring, simple cause and effect should not be beyond them. Haldrin, and the elves that accompanied him to these discussions, had already considered and accepted the idea most likely correct, but Halea, Kale, Warhelm, and all the other Dragons involved staunchly refused to believe it possible. Such bull-headedness was something she expected of the Centaurs and Dwarves, not Dragons.  She didn’t know why they seemed to hold dragons in such contempt, but it was more than just annoying, it was damaging to their efforts.

“You have been searching for your answers for centuries, and now you have it. Don’t be a fool and ignore it just because it’s not the answer you wanted. “

“We do not answer to the whims of those creatures!” hissed a Dragon whose name Reagan didn’t remember.   Well, with that attitude, it was no wonder the dragons decided to leave.  She wouldn’t stick around either if that was what she had to deal with all the time. 

“No one is saying you answer to them,” Haldrin smoothly interrupted before Reagan could say what she really thought of that statement, “but it seems clear that your fates and theirs are interconnected. To attempt to ignore that fact will not aid in finding a solution to your difficulties.”

He was certainly more diplomatic than Reagan would have been.

“Even if what you say is true, how do you propose we solve this? The dragons have gone.  How would you recommend we reverse the damage done to the mountain?”

That was the sticking point Reagan hadn’t been able to think through yet. They had no idea if the damage to the mountain even COULD be undone, let alone how to accomplish it.  When she looked to the elves, none of them seemed to have any answers to offer either. 

“You could always command them to come back, Your Majesty. You are still their king.”

Draco’s snort was more than just dismissive of the Dragons, it was an outright threat to everyone in the room.

_“Now can I eat her?”_

_“I almost wish I could say yes.”_

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but only you consider the dragons to be under your rule. The simple fact that they left should tell you that they don’t answer to you anymore.  Your orders aren’t going to accomplish anything.  These aren’t dumb animals; they are intelligent, thinking creatures.  If you want their cooperation you’d better plan on asking for it.”

“We will ask for nothing from those sub-creatures!”

The flame shot from Draco’s mouth before anyone could try to stop him, and everyone else dove out of the way as the fire stopped just shy of actually reaching the woman he was aiming at. She looked absolutely dumbfounded that he’d just threatened her, and Reagan barely resisted the urge to face palm.  The threat was real, and Halea just looked as if she couldn’t understand what had happened. How had she survived for so many centuries with such poor survival instincts that she didn’t think before offering insult to a creature that could eat her in one bite?

_“Next time I won’t be so nice.”_

A warning if ever there was one, and Halea could definitely hear it, Caller that she was. Reagan said nothing when the elder woman looked to her to get her dragon under control.  She was happy to let Draco do what he would.

“You are not helping the situation, Draco,” Haldrin informed him with a raised eyebrow.   The dragon returned the look with an expression that said he was unimpressed.  Reagan issued a mental warning to calm down; she could feel the beginnings of a headache from dealing with Halea, and antagonizing her would just drag this on longer. 

“Do you believe they would be more inclined to return if we found the rest of the eggs?”

_“It couldn’t hurt.”_

“The only problem with that idea is that the Goblin Queen has not yet been released to travel,” one of Haldrin’s elves pointed out.

“I will go,” Halea announced, “I am no less gifted a Caller than she is. I will take her dragon and find the missing eggs.”

Reagan was dying to ask why, if Halea was so gifted, the only egg found in the centuries since they were stolen was the one that had called _her_ , instead of the older woman.  She bit her tongue, preferring to get all of these people out of the apartment sooner rather than later.  Her back was beginning to hurt from being propped up most of the day again.  Really, they could at least let her sit in a chair.  The absolute bedrest thing was overkill.

_“That’s it! I’m going to eat her.”_

_“Don’t you dare! If you eat her we’ll never hear the end of it.”_

“Will Draco cooperate, Reagan? It is the easiest option.”

“He will cooperate.”

_“I make no promises.”_

“You have allowed your dragon too much freedom, Goblin Queen. His obedience is not an option.”

“His obedience is entirely his choice, Halea. He’s a sentient creature whose decisions are his own, not a work animal.  I would suggest you remember that when you’re with him.”

When the older woman opened her mouth to object, Draco’s warning huff stopped her.

“Now that’s settled, we will not keep you, Halea. I would recommend that at least two elves accompany you, so that you may return with the missing eggs without difficulty.”

It was a clear dismissal, and an order that none of the Dragons seemed eager to object to. It was a sensible suggestion, if they would consider it rather than grumble about Elven demands.  If they did find the rest of those eggs, Halea would need more than her two arms to transport them all.  Several minutes passed before everyone finally cleared out, but at last Reagan was alone with only Kale and Draco. 

_“You be safe, Draco. Don’t eat her, but don’t put up with any of her crap either, got it?”_

_“I’ll stay in contact.”_

His massive head shoved up under her arms, and she hugged him tightly. No one could guess how long it might take to find those missing eggs, so she had no idea how long it would be until he came back. He’d never left her for more than a couple of weeks in a century.  When she finally released him, he snorted at Kale one final time before the massive head disappeared through the doorway.  

As soon as he was gone, Reagan pushed herself off the bed and slowly walked over to the chair. The healers could pitch a fit, but she was done with lying around.  She was at least sitting in a damn chair!

“Are you sure you should be moving like that?”

“I’m sure you should stop asking that question. I’m perfectly fine, if your damned healers would take their heads out of their asses and accept that.”

She groaned slightly in relief as she sank into the chair. She was finally upright, with real support, not just pillows at her back. It felt absolutely heavenly.

“Above, women have the same surgery I had and go home within three days.”

“Jareth said you tried to take me with you when you left my father, “Kale commented as he took a seat opposite her. Reagan sighed. This wasn’t how she’d pictured having this conversation, but it was long overdue.

“We didn’t know until your birth whose child you were.   When they said you were Dragon, I took you with me Above.  I couldn’t leave you to your father, who thought that women were nothing more than convenient broodmares.”

“That’s not true. He never thought of—women are---”

“Women were meant to do nothing more than carry and birth more children, in his eyes. He could claim to love me all he wanted, but he thought that my being a Caller in addition to being female meant that I was supposed to have his children, and that I shouldn’t have a choice about that!  And the majority of your people agreed with him!”

She stopped herself when she would have continued. Rehashing what happened wouldn’t do any good for anyone right now, and it wasn’t what Kale was here to discuss. 

“I did take you with me when I left,” she finally continued. “I named you Joshua, and I kept you with me as long as I could. You were eight months old the first time you sprouted wings and a tail.  It wasn’t your fault, you were only a baby, but you couldn’t control when you did it, and there was nothing I could do to teach you.”

“So you sent me back.”

“The only alternative would have been to keep you hidden away for years until you learned to control changing, and that was no life for you. Here you could be free.”

“But you never came back. Even when you went back to the Goblin King, you never came to see me. You never even acknowledged me!”

“I wanted to see you,” she told him honestly. She could only hope he believed her.  “I wanted to see you, so very much.  But your father refused to let you come to visit me, and the one time I came to see you here he tried to keep me prisoner again.”

_“You belong here with your son, Reagan; with me. Don’t you want to see Kale grow up?”_

_She should have listened to Jareth, and not followed through with this idea. It had been a mistake to think that the Dragon who slipped a collar around her neck to inhibit her power would have kept to the agreement that allowed her to see her son. She should never have turned her back on him, but she’d never thought he would try something while she was holding her son._

_“Get this thing off me!”_

_“I know it will be difficult for you to settle here, and that you don’t understand, but in a few years it won’t seem so unnatural for you.”_

_“Go to Hell you bastard!”_

_She couldn’t break it herself, no matter how hard she tried. All of her effort did nothing more than draw blood on her neck.   Galen took a step forward, concern etched on his features, but jumped back when she lashed out at him.   Like hell was she going to let that creature touch her.  Joshua was watching the interaction, and starting to cry. Damn Galen, this wasn’t supposed to happen!_

_“Reagan, I can help you if you’ll just allow me to. I don’t wish to see you suffer.”_

_He could help her by taking a long walk off a short cliff. Fortunately, Galen wasn’t as smart as he thought.  Draco’s indignation, causing her a pounding headache, proved that while this damned collar (and she was sure she had Marek to thank for it) might inhibit her ability to do magic, it couldn’t prevent her from calling Draco.  He knew where she was, he knew what was happening, and he was pissed.  She wouldn’t be prisoner here for long.  She stopped trying to mutilate herself in attempting to break the collar, and waited.  Draco wouldn’t be long.  Galen mistook her sudden stillness for defeat.  Fine.  Let him think she would give up so easily._

_“The child you carry now will be treated like one of my own, I swear it.”_

_As if she would ever let him near her children. The sound of shouting, and the snapping of jaws, interrupted whatever bullshit Galen was preparing to let fall.   Draco had arrived, and it sounded as if he might have brought Jareth with him._

“And now?”

“Now?”

“Will you go back to the High Court, and your kingdom, and ignore us again?”

“I don’t want to. I would love for you to be able to know your sisters, and your brother.  But if there’s no peace I just don’t see how that would be possible.  And I can’t—“   how could she make him understand?

“Can you not see how very wrong what your people have done to women is? Making them little more than----what if it was one of your sisters who was taken without her permission? I can’t support that.”

She had no idea how she could make him see, but she just couldn’t support him if they continued in their culture of kidnapping and rape. She wouldn’t.   This was something for Haldrin and the High Court to handle in an official capacity.  She had no doubt that any sort of peace agreement reached would require the cessation of all abductions,  but regardless of what the High King said, she couldn’t give even tacit approval to continuing such practices. 

 “What Father did to you was wrong.  But what he did to you is not our normal practice, and I won’t let my people die out for want of a mate.”

“But why does that mean that you must force an unwilling woman to come here? If you put your mind to it, you could find a way to draw women here willingly.  You could create a much better treaty with the other races than the one that your father reached with Marek.  Be better than Galen, son.” 

 “Did you really hate him so much?”

“I did. I hated him every moment I was with him, until he altered my memories.  And I hated him every moment after that.  I don’t want that for you and your future wife, whoever she may be.  I know you think you’re only doing what you must Kale, but the reasons don’t justify the means.”

If only it was possible to ease Kale into seeing what they were really doing to the women they brought unwillingly into this country. Kale wasn’t trying to justify something he knew was wrong; it was genuine belief that they were doing right that motivated them.  He truly didn’t understand that they were causing harm to their victims, because they simply weren’t able to see them as victims.  The Dragons had been indoctrinated into this idea for so long that they believed kind treatment of their captives meant they weren’t in the wrong.  That kind of thinking wouldn’t be easy to change, but Reagan held out hope that eventually they would succeed.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Two days later, the healers finally agreed that they had no more excuse to keep Reagan on bedrest, and she was allowed to go home. She didn’t think she’d ever been so happy to see her own room before. And she was home: really home, not the High Court.  For a little while, at least, they would be able to avoid the politics and infighting going on, and focus just on Nathaniel.  As soon as she materialized in her apartment, she felt a peace she hadn’t felt in days.

That peace didn’t last long.   It took only a few minutes for word to circulate that “Queeny” was home, and all too soon she found her daughters practically knocking down the door in their eagerness to get inside.    Well, Isolde, Rebecca and Lorelai tumbled in.  Sarah hung at the doorway, a look of what Reagan would term mistrust on her face. 

It was really too much to hope that none of the girls would feel just a little outraged at not being told they’ve had a brother all this time. Sylvan had told the girls everything while they were gone, in that no-nonsense way that Reagan adored and tried her best to emulate. The explanation had been given in as little detail as possible, and the girls had been warned not to give her grief about it; if they had any questions they could go to their father.  Jareth had been most insistent on that point, and Reagan couldn’t be sorry for it.  Maybe one day she would be ready to talk to the girls about what happened to her a century ago, but not now.

“Lauriel said that you were the one who made the Dragon let her go! Did you really have to beat him up?  Dad said the Dragons are even more hard-headed than centaurs!”

Reagan tried to keep up with her youngest daughter’s monologue, she really did, but it was proving almost impossible as Lorelai changed subjects again and again.

“Oh, and both grandpas are really mad that Nathaniel wasn’t named after them. I think Grandpa Oberon almost lost it with dad when he told them!   There were a lot of raised voices and I saw marks on the walls after he left!”

“I’ll just bet he was mad,” Reagan murmured in agreement as she settled down on the long sofa. She was drained from transporting herself home, but she wasn’t ready to surrender to the bed just yet.  She’d spent days in bed, dammit! She wasn’t going to let coming home lay her low!  Lorelai took that as invitation to scramble up onto the sofa beside her, and then settle in her lap.  Her youngest might be almost fifty years old, but she looked no more than ten.  She would have thought she’d be used to such a slow aging process by now.   A quick glance confirmed that Isolde was holding Nathaniel while Rebecca poked through the parcels Reagan brought with her, so all was well and she could hold onto Lorelai without worrying about anyone else for the moment.

“What are these?”

Reagan looked over at Rebecca, who was holding up a pair of bracelets. Some of the Dragons had been surprisingly generous in their gifts, and Reagan had come home with a number of unexpected articles. The minerals used in the creation of the bracelets the girl held up were reputed to be great mood calmers, as wells a possessing other remarkable traits.  She might have to try them out on Sarah.  Her oldest was still glaring at her, as though she’d been wronged somehow.

“They’re a gift, from the Dragons.”

“Really? What else is in here?”

Rebecca nearly fell into the large crate that sat on the floor. There were gifts for all the girls in those bags. Kale had made certain to send something for each of them. Perhaps all of her daughters weren’t quite ready to accept them, but they would be waiting.

She would have to reciprocate, and send something to him. Promoting trade between the countries would be one way to promote peace. Most all races would agree that economic prosperity trumped philosophical opposition, and if they could gain something valuable in trade, they would be less eager to continue war efforts.  Not everyone would be amenable to trading with the Dragons, but if enough groups decided to do so, then real progress just might be possible.

 Perhaps in a few days she could venture down to the Human village with Nathaniel and the girls, and visit the artisans.   Everything that was considered a Goblin craft was actually made by the humans that resided there.    The goblins were terribly lovable creatures (at least most of them), but they were not the brightest.   Not even those with superior intelligence were anywhere near artisans.  Those first human inhabitants had taken the materials exclusive to the Goblin lands and turned them into works of art that were also functional.  The Goblin rulers had long ago decided not to mess with the arrangement, as it worked out better for all concerns.  The goblins were happy to leave such work to the humans, and the humans found a way to support themselves in their new home, and make a rather tidy profit as their creations became more and more in demand. 

“Ooh!”

Lorelai’s departure from her lap was preceded by her exclamation, and Reagan looked over to see what had drawn her attention. It looked as if one of the Dragons had included leather tanned from dragon hide.  Considering the fact that dragons had been gone from the country for centuries, and how rare it was for a dragon to die, that leather was incredibly valuable. Actual dragons were much longer lived than their shape-shifting cousins.  Lorelai rubbed the blue material against her cheek.

“It’s so pretty!!”

It was beautiful.   On closer inspection, it wasn’t just a large piece of leather.  In the center was a padded piece of wood, and ties dangled from the ends.  Straps of the same leather were attached to the outside. Lorelai picked it up, turning it this way and that, trying to determine what exactly she was holding.  It took Reagan longer than it should have to realize she was looking at a Dragon made cradle board.  She’d seen a few of them during her months with Galen, when she believed she belonged there.  Incredibly durable, they usually passed down through families. It would certainly be useful for carting Nathaniel around, and it would serve until he was walking around on his own.

“Alright girls, enough of this,” Jareth interrupted from the doorway. “You’ll get your presents later. Right now it’s time for dinner.”

The mention of food was enough to spur Lorelai and Rebecca into action, and they practically skipped out the door after Jareth, who’d promised to send a tray up. Isolde took a little longer, reluctant as she was to hand her brother over.  His sudden fussing motivated her to follow her father and sisters out the door, until only Sarah was left.

“What’s wrong, Sarah?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t you take that tone with me, Young Lady. Get in here, and tell me what’s wrong.”

The dramatic air as Sarah all but stomped into the room certainly came from her father. Her actions made it clear she wasn’t happy about it, but she obeyed the order and plopped onto the sofa.

“Now, you want to tell me what this is about?”

“You risked your life to save the Dragons from extermination, you almost lost this baby, and none of us even knew why until you almost died!”

“There are some things that, as a parent, you hope your child will never have to know. We didn’t want you to have to know that people were capable of so much evil, not when you’re all so young.”

“I’m not a child! I’m almost a hundred years old!  You weren’t even half my age when you married Father and had children.”

“Perhaps not, but I was a fully mature adult. You’re not, regardless of the fact that you’re almost a century.”

“The Dragon is a century and he’s regarded as an adult! Why the double standard?!  It’s not fair that he’s only a year older than I am, but everyone thinks of him as—“

“As what, Sarah? People think of him the same as they did before, only now he is king. And it might not be fair, but in the eyes of his people he IS an adult, whereas you are not.  The reality is that Dragons might be long-lived, but they are not immortal as we are, so they will age differently.  That is why he looks like an adult, despite being only a year older than you.”

It was a simple fact that Kale would be dead long before any of them were, even if he made it past the millennia mark. He was, at best, a quarter Fae, and had no possibility of immortality.   She’d always thought it incredibly strange that a human who became trapped Underground altered into an essentially immortal being, while those races that naturally existed here did not.  Humans never got old and sick here. The cemetery in the human village was incredibly small, especially for its age.  If Cole had stayed trapped here with her, she would never have lost him, but her own son she would eventually lose.

“It’s not fair. He is free to do as he likes, and I’m trapped here. I’ll never leave this place.”

That, Reagan blamed squarely on Jareth. He was definitely the overprotective parent.  The only places the girls ever visited were their grandparents’ homes and the High Court, and only with their parents in tow.  It was an old argument, but it looked like it was time for Reagan to bring it up again. Sarah was right in one respect; it was time to let her see something of the world for herself.   If they were a normal human family Above, she would be going off to college on her own by now.  Now that Nathaniel was here, she was no longer the heir to the throne, so there was no reason to keep her home as they’d done.   

”I can’t make any promises, Sarah, but I’ll speak to your father tonight. “

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sarah could hear the arguing before she even reached her parents’ room. How the baby was sleeping through her father’s tirade, she had no idea.  The arguing had startled her awake from where she’d been dozing in her own sitting room, through the walls of both her and her parents’ bathrooms.  It wasn’t often that they fought with enough volume and intensity to disturb the others (she’d heard it maybe four times in the century she’d been alive), but when they did, it wasn’t pretty. She crept up to the bedroom door and put her ear to it, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out they were arguing about her. 

“It’s never going to happen, Reagan! I will not send that girl off by herself to Court! Not with any of those Dragons running around there! Saoirse and Haldrin will be too busy to keep a proper eye on her, and she’s not responsible enough to run around on her own!”

Her mother’s response was muted in comparison, but Sarah had heard enough. It didn’t matter what Mother said, Father would never let her go.  Well, she wasn’t going to stick around waiting any longer.  She wasn’t the Heir anymore, that meant she should be free to live her own life, and she was going to do it, damn it!  She was done with sitting around and waiting for anyone to decide she was old enough to make her own decisions.  She was, and she had made her decision. 

It took very little time to collect the things she’d decided to take with her. Some of her clothes would go, a few of her favorite books, and the gifts from her parents that held the most sentimental value.  The rest of her things would be left behind, since there wouldn’t be room for them. 

It would be Reagan who would find the scroll in the morning, when it was finally noticed that Sarah was missing.   Jareth would be furious when he learned what Sarah had done, and she almost considered hiding it from him until he’d was too exhausted to do more than curse.  In the end, however, she decided that he’d better deal with it sooner rather than later, and marched into the study to hand it to him.   When he looked as if he was going to explode with rage,

“At least she left a note.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	32. Chapter 32

“You have got to be kidding me!”

When Melot and Haldrin appeared in the middle of the throne room, Reagan handed the baby over to Rebecca and ushered them out the door, Isolde and Lorelai right behind them. The goblins that had overrun the floor took one look at the people standing among them and scattered, leaving behind only a few chickens, which Reagan quickly shooed out.  The puppy they’d recently brought into the castle to start house-training tripped up in Haldrin’s robes as his oversized feet slid out from under him, and he slid to a stop at Reagan’s feet.

“A hundred years, and instead of getting rid of the menagerie, you manage to increase it.”

“Look again, Melot, and you’ll find that this room’s inhabitants have drastically decreased in number,” Reagan answered as she bent down to scoop up the pup. All barnyard animals were banished outside, into the goblin city, to fend for themselves among the goblins. The chickens tended to wander where they wanted, and she was quick to kick them out when she caught them, but the others seemed to have the common sense to stay out, and that instinct for self-preservation had carried down into their offspring.  It had been many years since any creatures apart from the goblins or dogs made a home in their throne room. But she doubted they were here to discuss the livestock.

“What brings you here?”

“News. About Sarah.”

Ah. She supposed she should call Jareth, who was still sulking in his study.  He’d been sulking for three weeks, after the biggest fight in the history of their marriage.  They hadn’t spoken more than three words to each other since the blow-up after finding Sarah’s note, and the kids were starting to feel the tension.  Still, she wouldn’t back down, not over this.  Their daughter had run away because Jareth insisted on keeping her life so restricted, and racing off to drag her back like an errant child wouldn’t solve anything.  It would probably only send her running again, only next time she wouldn’t tell them where she’d gone, and who knew if they would see her again.  She’d checked with Kale to make sure her daughter was alright, and until everyone cooled down that was the best they could ask for.

“I’m sure Jareth will want to hear this, Reagan.”

“Big baby,” she muttered under her breath. The puppy whined, and butted his head up under her hand, demanding her attention.  She obliged him by scratching behind his ears.

“I’m sure he will,” she answered aloud, “Haldrin, perhaps you would be good enough to fetch him? He’s in his study.”

The elf looked surprised at the request, but said nothing, and instead went in pursuit of his brother-in-law.   The result of that was that Reagan and Melot were alone, for the first time in decades.  She thought about sending him flying into the wall once, just for good measure, as she was sure he must have something to do with Sarah’s disappearance if he was here. Haldrin wouldn’t voluntarily travel with the younger being if he could help it. The mischievous Fae refused to grow up, instead still tried to seduce his way through the High Court.

“I do love what you’ve done with the place, Reagan. Although I would suspect that you’ve little time to see to the upkeep of the castle, what with chasing after four, now five children.  Really, it’s no wonder you look so exhausted.”

“How’s Elina,” she asked sweetly, “Still trying to get pregnant? It’s been four years now. It certainly didn’t take Jareth that long.”

Maybe it was petty, throwing his wife’s childless state up in his face, but damn it, he just managed to piss her off. When the Fae had realized he wouldn’t succeed at charming his way past her, he resorted to the sort of passive aggression that he’d always leveled at Jareth. Comparing his virility to his brother’s brought a keen satisfaction as his face clouded with fury.  At least she was certain that she would never say such a thing in front of Elina herself.  No matter how Melot infuriated her, she would never be that cruel.

She pitied the Fae woman Melot had been forced to marry after her father caught them “e _n flagrante delecto”_ one morning after a party.  The shotgun wedding may be considered poetic justice, but it did leave poor Elina tied to Melot forever.  Reagan could safely say that Elina was the sweetest Fae woman she’d ever met.  She’d been sheltered away from the High Court, and was only a few decades older than Reagan herself; the poor girl had simply been no match for Melot once he set out to seduce her, and she would have to pay for that for the rest of her life.  Or maybe just the rest of his life.  If anyone could drive the Fae to murder, it would be Melot.  

It was fortunate that Haldrin returned with her husband in tow before things could devolve further into bloodshed. Jareth spared a glare at his brother before focusing on his wife.  The eyebrow she raised suggested she was unimpressed with his fury.

“What do you know of Sarah’s disappearance?” he demanded of Melot.

“She spent a great deal of time with the Dragon Wulfrin during Lauriel’s abduction and your resulting absence. Alassë tells us that they formed an attachment.”

“And what was this Wulfrin doing even wandering the palace?! Why wasn’t he imprisoned with the others?!”

“Because the others participated in abduction, Jareth, and Wulfrin did not,” Haldrin informed him coolly, “he was perfectly within his rights as a guest of the Court to roam the palace freely. Or would you have us imprison entire families because of the actions of select members?”

“He’s involved in a kidnapping now!”

“Oh come off it, Jareth. The Labyrinth hasn’t let ANY Dragon into your kingdom since that one time that Norah made it in. How could he possibly have kidnapped Sarah when he couldn’t get in here?  Face it, Sarah left on her own and she ran off with the boy.”

“And whose job was it to look after her while we were gone?”

Reagan couldn’t imagine that Saoirse or Sylvan would have left her children unattended long enough for Sarah to have formed an attachment with any boy, so how did it happen? Sarah should have been entrusted to someone’s supervision at Court.   Reagan didn’t blame anyone but Sarah for her running off, but she was very curious as to how the girl managed to spend enough time with this Wulfrin to form such an attachment that she would run off with him.  She would bet that Melot was somehow involved.

“Melot was in charge of the girls on a number of occasions when our attention was demanded elsewhere,” Haldrin informed them, confirming her theory.

“And where exactly was Melot when he was supposed to be watching the children?”

Jareth asked the question, but Reagan thought it more rhetorical than serious. She had no doubt that Melot had simply told the children to behave themselves, or possibly order Sarah to keep an eye on her sisters, before following his libido to some female’s bed.

“You’ll forgive me for not revolving my entire life around your family crises,” Melot spat at his brother.

Reagan had never seen Jareth as angry as he was at that moment, but his fist flew directly into his brother’s face, so instead of growing concerned she restrained herself from applauding. How many times over the last hundred years had she felt the urge to do the same thing herself, only to be blocked by Jareth?

“That was hardly helpful,” Haldrin interjected mildly.

“It may not have been helpful, but I’m sure it was cathartic,” she countered as Melot clutched his nose.  

“Perhaps we should be less concerned with catharsis, and more concerned with practicality. Sarah has gone, and all evidence points to her leaving voluntarily. In light of that fact, there is little the High Throne can do.”

“You can go in there and order Kale to turn her over!” Jareth railed at his brother-in-law.  “Sarah is still a child!  She is still under my rule and needs my permission to form any Bond! Whatever she has done is not valid and binding!”

“If those are your terms, then your marriage to your Queen could be deemed invalid. Is that what you want?”

“What the hell are you talking about? We’ve been Bonded for a century!”

“By Immortal terms, Reagan was a child, as she was nowhere near Sarah’s age when you married. Would you like that declared invalid as well, so that you can set this precedent?”

“I had her father’s permission! It’s not the same!”

“Isn’t it?   Reagan didn’t recognize Oberon as her father. It wasn’t his permission that saw you Bonded, it was her decision, and if you’re arguing that Sarah is too young to form a Bond, you’re arguing that Reagan was too young as well.  Is that a path you wish to travel?”

Jareth’s mouth opened, then closed again. Of course that wasn’t what he wished. There had already been enough trouble over his marriage to Reagan without adding the question of validity.  But what did Haldrin expect him to do?  Was he really to do nothing about the fact that his oldest child had run off?

“I think you should maybe leave before Melot gets hurt again,” he heard Reagan telling Haldrin. Since he couldn’t help but agree with her, he said nothing to counter the suggestion.  He was tired of dealing with Melot, and at the moment tired of dealing with his brother-in-marriage.  If they weren’t going to be helpful in resolving this situation, they could at least leave. He at least remembered to respond to Haldrin’s farewell.  

As soon as they were alone, Reagan left him in the throne room. Jareth watched her walk out, wanting to say something to call her back, but the moment to do so passed too quickly.  This impasse was wearing on him as much as it was on her.  She’d vacated their chamber shortly after Sarah disappeared, returning to the suite she’d first inhabited as his guest. He was tired of sleeping alone.  Their bed was too empty without her in it.

The accusations they’d hurled at each other made his blood run cold to remember. This was a time when they should be holding onto each other even more, and instead they were barely speaking.  He knew he shared some of the blame for that, but he couldn’t back down on this.  This incident only proved him right.  If Sarah could think that running off was an acceptable way to show her disagreement with something, she lacked the judgment to be treated like an adult, and needed the supervision he’d always insisted on.  If her cousin’s abduction didn’t show her the terrible things that could happen to her on her own, then her mother’s experiences should have done so, and yet she seemed to think that she was invincible.  How could Reagan ever argue that the girl should have been left on her own more?

A sharp tug from the Labyrinth told him that someone was wishing away a child. Damn.  It couldn’t happen at a worse time.  Still, he couldn’t ignore the summons, much as he might wish to.   With a sigh and a wave of his arms, he was changed from his comfortable shirt and breeches to the nightmarish getup that all mortals seemed to expect from him (when they bothered to expect anything at all rather than assume that magic didn’t exist).

The home he found himself standing in would serve much better if it was burned to the ground. It astounded him that with all the modern conveniences and advances these mortals had, some of them still lived in such squalor. The child in question was already gone, the goblins having done their job, but the people inside the dwelling made Jareth ready to do murder.  One barely even looked up at him as they injected something into their arm and leaned back against the wall, not even appearing to notice the filth on the floor around him.  The female looked confused at her surroundings, and Jareth could smell whatever drug she’d taken from where he stood.  The stuff stank worse than the pipe weed the Dwarves were so fond of smoking.

“There was a baby here. It’s gone!”

“The baby is in my castle,” he announced, and the girl finally seemed to notice his presence.

“Hey! How’d you get in here?!  Are you the baby!”

Good lords, was the girl hallucinating, or was she really so far gone she thought an infant could become an adult? One could never tell the damage done to a person’s thinking when dealing with drug addicts.

“The baby is gone. If you want it back, you have thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth.”

A shrill giggle grated his ears, and he fought the urge to knock the girl unconscious until her time ran out. Surely the child would be better off with a Fae couple Underground than Above with caregivers suck as these.

“There was a baby here a minute ago!”

\---------

Reagan took the infant from Took, who was in grave danger of dropping the poor child. It couldn’t be more than a few months old. From two feet away, she’d been able to tell the child was in desperate need of a diaper change the moment the goblins appeared with it in the nursery.  Damn.  Just what she didn’t need to deal with.  Jareth would be even more impossible, having to deal with a runner on top of everything else.   Still, she immediately took charge of the baby, shooing the goblins from underfoot. 

“You poor thing. Let’s hope your people come for you soon.”

It had been two years since they’d had a child wished away. She’d rather hoped they’d seen the end of children being tossed aside in anger, or wished away because they were inconvenient.  She knew that some of the Fae weren’t happy:  too many of them still had such trouble conceiving that their best hope for a child was to adopt a human one. Still, she’d held out hope that over the last century people were coming to care for their children more.

Most immediate needs first: the baby needed to be cleaned up, immediately.  If the rather dingy cap that looked like it had once been purple was an indication, she was holding onto a baby girl.  Once she removed the child’s clothes to access the offending diaper that was confirmed.  Well, at least she had plenty of girls’ clothes at hand.  It would be easy to get her cleaned up and changed.  As soon as the diaper was gone, the baby stopped crying.

“You poor girl. You just wanted to be clean, didn’t you?”

“How is the child?” Jareth asked as he materialized behind her.

“In need of rest, and better care than she’d been getting,” Reagan answered him as she carried the child into the bathroom and laid her in the bath. She remembered when Sarah was this small, and in need of such constant attention.  Poor Sarah, who now had to live with the consequences of pretending to be an adult.  Better not to think on that now, though.

“What of the runner?”

“There is no runner.”

She nearly stumbled over her skirt at that announcement. She managed to right herself, and continue her reach for the soap, but Jareth noticed the stumble and joined her.

“The home she was in was filled with addicts. The only one who was even coherent enough to realize I wasn’t an hallucination chose to take her dreams over retrieving the child.  I’m afraid no one is coming for this little one.”

How sad, that this poor child had no one willing to run for her. What did that say of those who’d been responsible for her? Reagan swallowed back the tears that stung her eyes. 

“She should go to Elina and Melot then. Elina has been desperate for a baby; she’ll be a good mother to this one.”

“There are others who’ve been waiting longer,” Jareth said carefully. If Reagan would speak to him, he would count it as progress, and not for the worlds would he attempt to disrupt that.

“Perhaps, but they haven’t had to live with Melot while they waited. She should go to Elina.”

It would certainly be a poetic revenge on Melot, to give his wife a child. Their current childless state was the only reason he was allowed to show his face at Court.  If Elina had a child, then Haldrin would have all the excuse he needed to exile their troublesome brother from Court, to see to the care of his family. Melot wished to pretend he was free from all responsibility for others?  There would be no greater punishment to him than to give him responsibility for a baby. 

Plus, Reagan was right. Elina suffered much in being bonded to Melot.  Her father had been quick to insist on their Bonding when he discovered them, but after that he’d washed his hands of the girl.  She wasn’t welcomed enough to return to her own home, and so had to live with Renault and Sylvan.  Jareth knew they treated her kindly, but still, it wasn’t her home, and Elina was well aware she was living on her near-parent’s charity.

“She should go to Elina.”

A child might at least help her to feel that she was at home. Renault and Sylvan would dote on any child Elina brought them as surely as they doted on all of their other grandchildren. Perhaps it might help Elina to feel a part of the family, rather than just an interloper.  She was a cute little thing, with golden hair the same as Elina had; this infant did look as if she could be Elina’s daughter.  He would take everyone for a visit to his parents’ home in the morning.

That was one problem solved, at least. Now if the others were solved so easily.  He handed Reagan a towel as she finished rinsing the baby, and summoned one of the girls’ infant gowns from the trunk. 

“Reagan—“

“She’s made her choice, Jareth. She chose wrong, but that’s a choice too, and you have to accept it.”

“How can you suggest that I accept leaving my daughter with a boy she’s known for only a few weeks?! She didn’t even have the sense to—“

“You don’t have another option, Jareth. That’s how I suggest it.  It was senseless, you’re absolutely right.  It was a senseless, rebellious, emotional move to run off like that, but now that it’s done it can’t be changed.  You know Sarah as well as I do, so you know the odds that she went all the way and actually Bonded to this Wulfrin kid.  That’s not something that can be undone. “

He did know it.   Reagan was confirming his worst fears; that his firstborn had gotten herself into something she couldn’t get back out of.  He never wanted to see any of his children condemned to an unhappy union.

“Well, look at it this way. We didn’t know each other much longer than they did before we Bonded, and so far it’s worked out.  Even if I do want to wring your neck on a regular basis.”

L----L--------L----L

Sarah smoothed a non-existent wrinkle from her skirt. Her parents were due any minute, and she was petrified.   Her father was going to be furious, and she was absolutely terrified of what her mother might do.  She started at the hand that squeezed hers reassuringly.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. But when my parents get here-“

“It will be fine, Sarah. You made your choice, and they’ll respect that.”

“You don’t know my father.”

Her father didn’t HAVE to do anything he didn’t want to. One of the perks of being a powerful king was that one very rarely had to accept as fact something they found unfortunate.  If he didn’t like something, he could just change the laws.  And her mother would just sit by and let those things happen, as she did when he refused to let her go to Court without them.  Her sisters might be on her side, but they wouldn’t be allowed to come, she just knew it.  And if Isolde hadn’t been able to talk her parents down by now, it wasn’t going to happen.

“Relax, Sarah. Just remember that no matter how angry your parents may be, there’s nothing they can do to us.  We’re bonded.”

That was true. It didn’t matter what her mom said, or her dad threatened, she was Bonded now, and there was no undoing it.  They would HAVE to treat her as an adult now.  And they would have to accept Wulfrin, that was all there was to it. 

Dear Wulfrin. He’d been so patient with her the last three weeks, while she agonized over what they’d done, and what her parents might do about it. So what if they disagreed on more issues than she’d expected.  Her parents didn’t always agree, neither did her grandparents, or even the High King and Queen.  Wulfrin was still the best thing to ever happen to her.

 It was a good thing Melot was such an incompetent guardian, or she might never have met this wonderful man who would make her the happiest woman in the world.   None of the Elves or Fae she’d met at Court had made her feel the way Wulfrin did.  And as cousin to the Dragon king, his position was equal to hers, so she was still a princess.  Everyone would still have to treat her with the respect she was owed as royalty.   Surely now Uncle Haldrin would have to stop looking at her as if she was some sort of errant baby.  Especially if she had a baby of her own, and she might very well be pregnant.  

A crash of thunder told Sarah that her parents had arrived. Her father did love to make a dramatic entrance. Well, she wouldn’t cower.  He wasn’t going to intimidate her in her own home, and if he wanted to disapprove so much of her decision, he didn’t have to come visit.

Wulfrin stood respectfully when the Goblin King and Queen appeared in the room, and he urged Sarah to do the same. She did so, grudgingly, rolling her eyes as she rose.  The glare her father wore was truly spectacular, and Sarah almost flinched. No.  She stood taller and jutted out her chin.  She wouldn’t be treated as if she’d done something wrong. She had every intention of making sure this played out as she’d imagined it. She wouldn’t accept anything less than a full apology.

“Hello Mother; Father. It’s so good that you could visit.”

“Your Majesties, I am glad to finally meet you.”

“Stop talking,” was hissed at the young Dragon’s greeting, and Reagan laid a hand on her husband’s arm. Sarah stiffened.  So, they were both going to come at her.

“You will not speak to my husband that way!”

“And you will not speak to your father that way, young lady.”

This wasn’t right! They were talking to her like she was Lorelai’s age from the beginning!  They were supposed to be ready to apologize!

“I know that this was very sudden for you,” Wulfrin tried again, “but I want you to know that I-“

He was cut off when Jareth advanced on them, and Reagan tugged him back. If they couldn’t even speak civilly, they weren’t going to get anywhere.  She just hoped Jareth got that through his thick head before he did something they would all regret.  If he blasted this boy to oblivion, they really would be starting another war.

“I’d like a minute with my daughter. I’m sure Kale is waiting to make sure no one’s died yet, Jareth, so take whatshisname and show my son that everyone’s still alive.”

Sarah was floored when Wulfrin did as her mother ordered, following Jareth out of the room. He was supposed to stand wither her!  This was all wrong.  Reagan waited until Jareth had practically dragged their would-be son-in-law away before rounding on her daughter.

“Seriously, Sarah? You ran away because your father wouldn’t let you go to the High Court on your own?!  What is wrong with you?!”

“I’m not a child anymore Mother! Stop talking to me as if I’m Lorelai!”

“Lorelai shows more sense than you do! You do realize that you’ve just proved to your father that everything he’s been saying about your being too young to make decisions is true!”

“Of course, you would side with him! Nevermind that he won’t let any of us do anything out of his sight, and as soon as we try we’re nothing but little children who can’t think for themselves, and you just go along with it!”

“Don’t be a daft idiot, Sarah! You know perfectly well that I have supported and stood up for all of you all your lives!  But in this I absolutely take Jareth’s side!   You took off without a single thought for what you were doing and expected everyone else to accommodate you. You wanted to be treated like an adult, and yet as soon as you didn’t get your way, rather than behaving like an adult and accepting that, or even working on changing your father’s mind, you ran off and married the first guy you met that you knew would absolutely piss him off. Tell me precisely how that is supposed to make anyone see you as an adult. Rebellious adolescents pull that kind of crap, Sarah, not mature adults.”

“I married Wulfrin because I love him.”

It took great restraint, but Reagan managed to not shake her head at that declaration. Almost as difficult to resist was the urge to shake some sense into her offspring. How many times had she told all of her daughters that the most important part of loving someone was really knowing them, because the prettiest face in the world couldn’t hide whether someone was an asshole, and Sarah seemed to have absorbed none of it.

“You don’t know him, Sarah. You haven’t spent enough time with him to know anything beyond the superficial.  I’ve told you before, infatuation is one thing, and love something entirely different. What did you think I was talking about?”

“I do know him,” the girl insisted stubbornly. “He’s a wonderful man, who makes me happy, and that’s all I need to know.”

“Lord, give me patience,” Reagan muttered under her breath before addressing the nonsense that just spewed from her daughter’s mouth. 

“And how do you plan to live? How exactly does he intend to support a wife and family? Happy doesn’t put food on the table or clothes on your back.  Did you even think about the fact that you’re nothing more than a housewife now, one whose sole purpose to these people is to have children?  Sarah, honey, there was so much more you needed to think about than just the fact that he made you happy.”

“I’m not going to be nothing more than a housewife, mother! I’m still a princess.  That hasn’t changed since I married Wulfrin.”

Was Sarah being willfully ignorant of the culture she’d just married into, or had Wulfrin neglected to tell her anything?   The urge to smack some sense into both of them reared its ugly head, and Reagan tamped it down.  And where the hell was Kale, that he didn’t make sure his sister knew any of this before she did something permanent?   Odds were that Sarah would have lost her rank no matter where she married, unless she found a prince, but whereas others might evaluate Sarah’s worth on her abilities and accomplishments, most of the Dragons (especially the oldest among them), would value her solely on the number of children she produced, and whether any of them were female.  

“That’s actually the first thing that changed when you married Wulfrin, Sarah.   Back home you might have been a princess.  At the High Court you might still be considered a princess. In this country, you’re Wulfrin’s wife, and expected to be the mother of his children.  Period.  The only titled member of the royal family here is Kale, and the woman he eventually marries.  A woman takes her husband’s rank, which means that Norah was no longer a princess the moment she married.  Her son is not a prince, and his wife is not a princess. And you know that would hold true in nearly every country, not just this one.”

Sarah froze. That—that couldn’t be true.  Wulfrin would have told her that.  He told her, she was the king’s sister, and he the king’s cousin.  They had an important position to fill.  Her brother couldn’t do everything himself; he would need help, and she knew how to run a household. 

“No,” she protested, shaking her head. “You’re lying. Wulfrin promised me. Besides, I’m the king’s sister. On that alone---”

“You’re the king’s half-sister, through his non-Dragon parent. Those little details will matter a great deal to the Dragons, even if they don’t matter to Kale or Norah in how they view you.  I promise you that no Dragon is going to accept you having some sort of title or position based on being the daughter of the woman who left their king. Many of them will probably even consider you a bastard because you’re not Galen’s, and they won’t recognize that I was married to Jareth first.”

“I don’t believe you. You just don’t want me to be happy.”

It never occurred to the girl that everything wouldn’t work out exactly the way she wanted it, Reagan realized. It had never once occurred to her that her new spouse had made promises that he wouldn’t necessarily be able to keep, no matter how good his intentions were. All her life, the major things had always worked out exactly the way Sarah had expected them to, and she didn’t seem to understand that that could change.  She’d never had to learn that wishes might come true, but they didn’t come free.   In that moment Reagan felt profoundly sorry for her daughter.  It was a harsh lesson she would have to face, when reality set back in.

“Oh, my poor girl.”

Her daughter had no clue what she’d gotten herself into.   She’d put no thought into everything she’d be giving up, or what she was taking on.  And the worst part was that there was nothing anyone could do to help her.   She had freely entered into a bond that was indissoluble.  If Wulfrin ever turned violent, or Sarah decided she simply couldn’t live with him anymore, she was as free to leave him as any other person, but she wouldn’t be free to choose another. They would still be bonded until he died.  There was no such thing as divorce.

“The only thing we ever wanted for you was your happiness. The reason your father didn’t want you going off to Court alone was to avoid something like this: your being tied to a man you don’t know, and no way to undo it.  The last thing in the worlds he ever wanted for you was to be trapped in a union with a man you wouldn’t be happy with.”

“I WILL be happy with Wulfrin.”

If only saying something made it true. If this Wulfrin really was a good man, they had a chance, but only if they were both willing to put in the work to make their relationship successful.  Reagan sincerely hoped Sarah would prove her wrong, but she wasn’t confident her daughter would put in the necessary work.

“You’d better hope so, since you’re Bonded until the day he dies.”

“Alassë said that you and father barely knew each other before you Bonded.   You’ve got no room to lecture me about running off.”

Reagan found that she was less concerned with how Alassë knew such a thing than with the fact that she was only telling part of the story. And that Sarah seemed to be basing her decisions (at least in part) on the fact that if her mother had done it, she could do it as well with no repercussions. Without knowing all the facts, Sarah had romanticized what happened.  That, at least, could be remedied. 

“Sit down, Sarah.”

XXXXXXXXXXXX

“It’s too quiet in there,” Wulfrin complained when the silence finally got to him.  Jareth just raised an eyebrow at the boy who dared to try to claim the position of son-in-law. 

“No one’s dead, so that’s a good sign.”

Reagan would never hurt her own children, and Sarah was nowhere near as powerful as her mother. Her abilities were more in line with his own, dealing in illusion and manipulation.  Causing actual harm was not one of her talents.

“That’s not very reassuring.”

After a ten minute conversation with the boy, with Kale hovering nearby to make sure no violence erupted (and he found it amusing that the Dragon king had gone so far as to request the presence of one of the High Court advisors to ensure proper behavior), Jareth had come to the conclusion that this Wulfrin was relatively harmless, if a bit thick. He didn’t seem to have inherited his mother’s cunning.

How this boy expected to handle his daughter, Jareth couldn’t guess. Sarah would easily walk all over him if he didn’t grow a backbone.  It hadn’t taken long with the Dragon to ascertain that running away together had been much more Sarah’s idea than his.  He could hardly kill the boy for being pulled along in one of Sarah’s schemes.  His daughter had chosen a doormat for a husband.

“It’s better than the alternative,” Cadmus commented drily, and Jareth barely held back the snort of amusement.   The centaur had decided that the entire situation was nothing short of hilarious.  Still, it was better that Cadmus was there than someone else. Cadmus would keep this as confidential as possible.  The story wouldn’t make its way through the High Court.

“And just how do you intend to support a wife and children?”

Jareth was glad that it was someone else asking the question.   He couldn’t rightly be accused of bullying his prospective family member if someone else was doing the questioning.  Sarah was on her own in this; she’d chosen to run off and leave her home, she wasn’t going to come back to her parents for her maintenance. She would have to learn to live with what this boy could provide her.

He was less than impressed with the boy’s plan of continuing his brilliant career as a stone cutter, but at least he would be able to put food on the table. Hell, it was better than Melot’s own plan to sleep his way through the Court until he achieved what he wanted. Wulfrin seemed to harbor some expectation that his position might change due to his relations, at least that was the impression Jareth got when the boy continually looked to Kale, but at least he did have some sort of vocation to keep Sarah from starving if the king did nothing for them. It was going to be a harsh adjustment for his daughter, who he was certain had given no thought to everything she was giving up.

If this didn’t involve his own child, he would probably think it a great joke. It was exactly the sort of thing he would do to a runner who accepted their dreams and wishes; allow them to think they were gaining one thing, and replace it with a reality harsher than the one they’d left.  He couldn’t think it was quite so humorous when he daughter was thoughtlessly choosing it for herself.

They were all surprised when the door opened and Reagan stepped out. She looked more than a little furious, but resigned.  Not to mention exhausted.  Still, she looked better than when she’d kicked them all out, so he would consider that as things having gone well.  Wulfrin was looking beyond her, to Sarah.  Jareth  spared a glance for his daughter, concerned at the look on her face.  She looked—there really was no other word for it—crushed.  Hers was the crushed look of a child who found out that fairy tales didn’t always bring happy endings.   He took a step towards her, but she turned away.  The Dragon went to her instead, pulling her into an embrace, so Jareth returned his attention to his wife.

“Let’s go home.”

“Are you sure?”

He’d expected that she would want to stay for a while. He’d been fairly certain they were only dealing with round one of a drawn-out match. Was she really ready to leave so soon?  She nodded to him, which was all the confirmation he needed.  He pulled her into his arms and transported them both home.

“I take it things did not go well,” he commented as soon as they were in their apartment. Reagan immediately headed for the bathroom, the giant bath already filling with water, and Jareth followed her, stripping down as he went.   He’d long ago converted Reagan to the benefits of enjoying a long soak in the inlaid bath she called a swimming pool.  Once he’d gotten her off of showers, they’d spent countless hours simply soaking in the hot water, discussing everything from their children to politics.  He’d missed this; their fighting the last several weeks meant she didn’t allow him anywhere near her while he was being “a complete Jackass”.

“They went as well as I expected,” Reagan answered as she stepped down into the water, “She’s going to have a very hard time of it, adjusting to what she’s chosen.”

He sank down in the water behind her, pulling her against him and holding her close. She moaned her approval when he set his hands to massaging aching muscles. That confrontation with Sarah had taken more out of her than she’d realized.  She was tense everywhere.  Jareth’s hands were taking care of that beautifully.

“Perhaps, but there’s nothing that we can do for her in that. After talking to that boy of hers, I’m certain that she was the instigator of all of this, as you said.  As much as it pains me to admit it, we have to let her go.”

Reagan choked a laugh at that. Jareth, who wouldn’t let his children leave the grounds without supervision, was finally admitting that they needed to let their daughter try to grow up.  Had Hell frozen over? She looked over her shoulder to see his face, and was surprised to see that he was serious.

“Reagan?”

“Are you feeling alright? You’re not ill, or anything? Those words really just came out of your mouth?”

Jareth smiled at that, having to concede that Reagan had a point. It was very rare that he admitted to being wrong about anything, and never when it was to do with the children.  He was, after all, the one most experienced in dealing with immortals.

“You were right, I admit it. Maybe my strictness is what drove Sarah to run away.  And while I’m admitting that, I might as well admit that there is absolutely nothing we can do for her now, so we may as well leave her to her chosen life. “

“This needs to be recorded for posterity. On this date, Jareth admitted he was wrong.”

“Yes, treasure this moment. It’s unlikely to happen again.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll remind you of this often enough.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will.”

He reached for the sponge, soaking it in the water before drawing it over Reagan’s shoulders and chest. She leaned back into the movement, letting her weight rest squarely on him.

“Does this mean you’ll come back to the bedroom now?” he asked, dropping a kiss on her shoulder.

He was tired of sleeping alone. He wanted things to get back to normal, and that meant no more of this sleeping apart business.  He was cautiously optimistic that this bath sharing meant she was ready to let him back in.

“Might as well,” was her only answer as she closed her eyes and laid her head back, giving him access to her neck. This bath was quickly dissolving into something else entirely, and Jareth was more than happy to allow it.  But there was one thing he’d wanted to tell her, that he knew she would find of interest, before he forgot.

“Oh. While you were in with Sarah, Kale told me that a few of the lizards have already come back to the mountain.”

“You know, if you’ve ever wondered why Draco likes to try to set your hair on fire, it’s because you call him a lizard.”

“Mom! Mom!”

Reagan sank under the bubbles as Lorelai burst into the bathroom, followed by Isolde.

“Oh, that’s just gross! You’re too old for that!!” the older of the two exclaimed as she covered her eyes.  Reagan couldn’t help giggling at Isolde’s theatrics.  She was certainly her father’s daughter.  The giggling dissolved into all out laughter, and she slipped under the water as she lost her balance.  Jareth quickly pulled her back up, looking at her as if she’d gone mad.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she managed to sputter, trying to get her laughter under control. “That- that was just unbelievably funny.”

Jareth looked from his wife to his offspring, who stared at their mother as they’d never seen her before. He couldn’t help but agree that Reagan looked a bit unhinged at the moment, so he decided to address the children first.

“What could be so important that you burst in without knocking?”

“Draco’s back!” Lorelai answered excitedly. That was a surprise.  They’d expected that it would be several months before they heard anything from the dragon, let alone that he would return.  Had they found the missing eggs already?  Perhaps they hadn’t been missing to the lizard.  Still, that was no reason for the girls to burst in on them. They knew that if their parents were occupied in the bathroom, they weren’t to be disturbed.  It was almost the only place in the entire castle that they were guaranteed privacy.

“And that necessitated your rather rude interruption?”

Lorelai looked slightly confused, as she always did when she had to work through long words. Isolde just rolled her eyes.

“There’s more.”

“Well?” Jareth demanded when no further explanation was to be had.  His youngest daughter looked as though she was about to burst, but neither of them were saying anything.

“Oh no. Trust me; you really need to see this for yourself.”

Jareth really wasn’t in the mood for such games. He was finally making up with Reagan, and he very much wanted to continue what the girls interrupted.  One look at his wife’s face told him that was unlikely to happen.  She looked ready to climb out of the tub that very moment, and while it would certainly get the girls out, it would likely also scar them to see their mother walking around naked.  They didn’t need the sort of fallout that would come from their melodramatic daughters.

“Get out then, and we’ll be down as soon as we can,” he ordered his progeny. Whatever it was had better be worth the interruption, or they would find themselves grounded for a year.

It took half an hour to get dried off, changed, and downstairs, but finally they made it to the throne room. Reagan immediately made her way to the window Draco stuck his head through, and wrapped her arms around his muzzle. It felt so good to finally see him again. She’d felt incomplete while he was gone, finally understanding what Thornweld had always said about a Caller and the dragon that chose them.  It didn’t feel right for Draco to be gone.

_“I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.”_

“What is this?!”

Reagan finally looked from Draco to her husband, who was staring at Nathaniel.   The infant was sitting in his human nanny’s lap, happily cooing at a blue baby dragon who’d attached itself to the nanny’s arm to stare curiously at him.  


	33. Chapter 33

Reagan strapped a freshly changed Nathaniel to his cradleboard and slid her arms through the straps. Once she had him secure on her back, she ventured out of the room and down the staircase.  Today was an important day, and one that she’d rather get over with.  She wanted all of the Dragons down in her throne room gone (except Kale.  And maybe  Thornweld.).  This meeting had been months in the making. The expected explosion was sure to be massive, and she wanted no part of it.

She swore no good deed went unpunished. Draco’s locating the missing eggs had been celebrated, but now they wanted more.  A small colony of the dragons had returned to the mountain, but that wasn’t enough. At least two Dragons found mates based solely on their personal appeal and powers of persuasion, no abduction necessary. Two women from the human village decided they liked the shape shifters, and Jareth had rather reluctantly given his permission for them to marry (the other reason for today’s meeting).  She’d even heard that some of the abducted women who’d returned home had begun allowing their former captors to start courting them, in an attempt to see if reconciliation was possible.  The idea was anathema to her, but who was she to sit in judgment if that’s what they decided to do?

But none of that was enough for them. The Dragons were demanding the return of the baby blue that had anchored herself to Nathaniel. Even as she thought of the tiny dragon, Saphir clawed up her skirt and settled on her shoulder. She wasn’t growing as quickly as Draco had, and Reagan was starting to wonder if she should be concerned.

“What are we supposed to do with you, huh?” she asked the creature that looked up at her with a toothy grin, “the Goblin kingdom isn’t a sanctuary for lizards, you know.”

They wouldn’t be handing her over, that much was certain. Forcing a separation between a dragon and their chosen Caller wasn’t healthy for either party. She hadn’t even known that males could be Callers, as everything had focused on females, but there was no doubt that Nathaniel and Saphir shared the same bond she and Draco shared.  Fortunately they had Draco around to help keep a watch over them.

Jareth was waiting for her in the throne room, and as soon as she entered he rose and pushed his way past the arguing people to escort her to her seat. He helped her to slip the cradleboard from her shoulders, but she left the baby in it.  He liked to be strapped in and wrapped securely, and with any luck he would drop back off to the nap she’d disrupted.

“Now that we’re all accounted for, let us begin. Kale, you had a complaint to lodge?”

A complaint? Kale had lodged an actual complaint? What was he thinking?

“I do. The eggs should have immediately been brought to my country. Because they were not, one of them was left behind, at a time when every single dragon is needed.”

Alright, maybe that was a valid complaint. She’d been so happy to have Draco back that she hadn’t thought about those who were waiting for the eggs.  It shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone that Draco would return first to his Caller after several weeks’ absence, but the end result of that WAS that one of the eggs they’d tracked down didn’t make it back to the dragons, or the Dragons. 

“And what would you have done about it?”

“The blue must be returned to us!”

Reagan couldn’t identify the Dragon who spoke, but she held back a smile as Kale sent him a sharp glare and barked something at him. Surely they couldn’t be serious in that demand.  Someone hadn’t thought that through. She scanned the crowd, hoping to see Sarah’s face, but she was disappointed.  Things weren’t going so well with the young couple, and Sarah had stopped talking to them after they refused to interfere, and told her she must work things out with her husband on her own.  Reagan just hoped her daughter didn’t end up pregnant in the near future.  It would be a great mistake to bring a child into a damaged relationship in hopes of fixing it.

Saphir seemed to have her own ideas about leaving. She turned to stare in the direction of the one who’d spoken and hissed at him, baring her teeth.   In a grown dragon it would be a frightening sight, but in this baby, it was simply comical.  Still, it served to make her opinion known, and the more intelligent of the Dragons were coming to realize that their cousins’ opinions weren’t to be disregarded.  Things were coming slowly, but at least they were progressing. 

“As happened when Draco was a hatchling, Saphir will stay here with her Caller until she reaches maturity. After that time, it will be her decision whether to return to you,” Jareth announced with finality. 

“She’s young enough that she could choose a new Caller, if she was returned to us.”

Reagan bit her lip to keep from saying something that would only cause more problems.   Halea just had to open her mouth.   Was the older woman trying to purposely make things worse?  

“And who might she choose,” Reagan asked after mentally counting to ten. It was widely acknowledged that there were no Callers among the Dragons at present, because all of their Callers had been female.   The few that were there were women of other species (mostly Fae); girls who had either come from the families that had participated in that reprehensible arrangement made by Marek, or captives who’d elected not to return home when they could have been freed.  There was hope that if female births increased the Caller population would also increase among their own species, but at the moment there were none.  Halea was the only Caller who was Dragon. 

“It would be better for all if she was returned to establish a relationship with a Caller among the Dragons.”

“It would be better for you, perhaps. I’m not so convinced it would be better for Saphir, or worth the strain on both dragon and child that would come from trying to sever their relationship.”

She wouldn’t consider putting either Saphir or Nathaniel through what she’d been assured was a painful separation, just to send the tiny lizard to Halea. Her relationship with the other Caller was strained, at best. It could even be said that Halea treated her with downright animosity, though Reagan had yet to figure out why.  She suspected it was because Galen had nearly caused a war for her, or because the Dragon woman had no dragon of her own.  

“It is not your decision to make, Goblin Queen,” Halea practically hissed at her.

“In point of fact, it is. This is my child’s well-being that you’re threatening to disrupt.”

She didn’t really want to fight with anyone today, but Halea was driving her to reconsider that. Nearly every interaction with the Dragon woman resulted in attempts to intimidate her, and she refused to be intimidated.  Jareth squeezed her hand softly, in warning to keep her temper.  She nodded in his direction.  She refused to blow up in front of so many people.

“Perhaps the queen might consider bringing the child and the dragon to the mountain for a time, as guests of our king. That way the blue might interact with others of her own kind.”

The suggestion came from Thornweld, and Jareth stopped her from vetoing it outright.

_“It is likely the most diplomatic solution we will find.”_

Jareth was right about that, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. The idea of willingly going back to that mountain to stay, even temporarily, sent shivers down her spine. There she wouldn’t be able to escape the nightmares that still plagued her.

“We shall take that suggestion under consideration. Now, if there are no other pressing concerns, I believe that we are also here to witness a Bonding Ceremony?”

It had taken lengthy persuasion, and all manner of indecent promises fulfilled, to get Jareth to agree to host the occasion properly.   He didn’t have to like the Dragons, or the fact that humans under his charge were choosing to go with them, but he owed those women the same support he gave all of his human residents when they married.  Since the human village wasn’t large enough to host such an event, Reagan had finally convinced him to host it in the castle. It couldn’t look like he refused his blessing, not if they wanted to keep the peaceful relations that the High Court had worked to establish.

L----------L--------------L

Reagan slid down from Draco’s back, holding Nathaniel to her as she did. He was finally outgrowing the cradleboard she’d been gifted with on his birth, and squirmed to protest being trapped in it.  It was unfortunate, but so far they hadn’t come up with any good alternatives, and she was not letting her eight year old ride the dragon unrestrained.  Knowing him, he’d fall off mid-flight and they’d have to rescue him. 

Nothing reminded her so much of the endlessness of immortality as the fact that her children didn’t age like mortal children would. At eight years old, Nathaniel was still the equivalent of a toddler, and that development would slow even more before he reached adulthood.  It would take another ninety plus years just to look eighteen, as it did all immortal children.  Full physical maturity usually took an additional twenty-five years.   Such a sharp contrast to those who weren’t immortal. 

After seven years of this, it was finally starting to feel routine to fly to the Dragons three times a year. It never got easier to leave Jareth and the girls for four weeks at a time, but after the first visit she was at least able to accept that no one had any intention of forcing her to remain.   Six months of negotiation to work out this arrangement of visiting the dragons with her son and Saphir had almost come undone when it looked as if the Dragons might try to prevent her from returning home. Draco had taken that personally, and reacted accordingly.  They didn’t try a second time.  Some Dragons might think that her place was here, but they kept the thought to themselves.

“Welcome, mother.”

Kale stood waiting for her, as he always did, and his wife stood beside him.  Andriél looked incredibly uncomfortable, less than a month away from delivering their first child.  Reagan liked the Fae woman who’d decided to marry into the Dragon royal family nearly a year ago.  If the gossip was correct, she’d actually drugged Kale and carried him off from a High Court visit to make him marry her (and it would absolutely serve her son right to be on the other end of the kidnapping business if she had).  She had a mischievous streak that Reagan could fully appreciate, being married to Jareth.   Andriél was some relation to Tallis, unfortunately, but Reagan tried not to hold it against her.  No one was perfect. 

The Fae managed to earn the grudging acceptance of many of the Dragons by falling pregnant quickly. Reagan hoped this child would be a girl, for their sake. All the Dragons would celebrate the first female birth, which had yet to happen.   There were those who complained that the experiment of bringing the dragons back was a failure because no girls were born, but they were ignored by those who saw the changes in the mountain.  It was almost as if the mountain was coming back to life with the return of the dragons.   Plants that had long been extinct were coming back, and even the soil had a healthy sheen it hadn’t had before.  Those whose opinions mattered were confident that with time the birth rate would pick up, and that females would come.

A few hatchlings buzzed around her head to start chattering at Saphir, and she flew off to join them. Having so many voices inside her head was chaotic, and the hatchlings were the worst of all; when they were together, their thoughts were too disjointed to be truly coherent.  That may have been the hardest thing to get used to, but now it was more an annoyance than truly painful. The first time it happened she was driven to her knees in pain, and woke up in her room a day later.  Now it was no worse than a mosquito bite.

Nathaniel shouted in complaint that Saphir was gone, but she would be back before nightfall. The dragon still insisted on spending the nights by her Caller, curled up like a dog under the crib.   Reagan had been surprised when Saphir didn’t grow as quickly as Draco, and she’d learned another fun fact she hadn’t known; dragons could control their growth. Rather than reach full maturity in a matter of months, Saphir had elected to grow in proportion to her Caller in these first years.   For the last year and a half she’d stayed the size of a Great Dane.

“Your room is ready, if you wish to put Nathaniel down.”

That was the most welcome news Reagan could hear. Travelling to the Dragons invariably interrupted the child’s sleep schedule, and he was in need of a nap.  He would be an absolute monster tonight if he didn’t sleep, and no one needed to deal with that. Nathaniel pitching a hissy fit was a special kind of hell reserved only for people who truly pissed her off. The girls had all had their fair share of tantrums at that age, but she didn’t remember them being so bad as his.  She wouldn’t trade the little ankle biter for anything, but there were days he could be a royal pain in the ass.

Her room was waiting for her, the door open, indicating that the servants had only recently left. The large bed looked particularly inviting, but Reagan avoided it.  If she laid down now, she would be up half the night, and that wasn’t anything she wanted.   She stepped through to the deep alcove that had been cut into the mountain, where Nathaniel’s crib was located.   The curtain made of leather straps that hung in the doorway offered enough privacy that it was almost a separate room.   As Nathaniel grew older he would appreciate the privacy, and Reagan already relished it.  That ingenious curtain allowed her time to herself, but made enough noise that she was alerted if Nathaniel tried to escape his confines.  A similar curtain separated the bedroom from the sitting room.

As she expected, Nathaniel protested being put down for a nap, but a stern order silenced the loudest wails. Jareth had been rather lax in the discipline department, knowing that they were going to be separated for four weeks, so Nathaniel had gotten away with more than he should have this last week.  Reagan was fine with being the evil parent if it meant getting the child back in line.   He continued to sniffle, but much more quietly, and she left him to cry himself to sleep.  There were people waiting on her in the sitting room. 

“He certainly has a healthy set of lungs,” Andriél commented as she rubbed her swollen belly.  

“You’ll have plenty of that to look forward to when you have your own,” Reagan answered, feeling just a little evil as her son and daughter-in-law blanched.  They would find out soon enough just what they were in for, with the sleepless nights and endless demands.  Even having servants wouldn’t save them from that.

“Halea wants Nathaniel tested, to ensure that he’s growing appropriately,” Kale announced as a not-at-all-subtle subject change.   Reagan scowled.  The Dragon always wanted tests run on her son.  The fact that the child wouldn’t grow as quickly as Dragon children, because he WASN’T a Dragon child, was a concept that the Caller seemed incapable of grasping.  It was just another reason Reagan spent as little time as possible with the older woman.

“She already knows that’s not going to happen, but feel free to remind her she can kiss my ass at any time.”

“Mother.”

“You know the answer to that, Kale. Testing Nathaniel isn’t up for debate.  She’s just going to have to take my word that he’s growing right on target with his species. Considering that he’s my fifth mostly-Fae child, I think I’m enough of an expert to speak with some authority on that subject.”

It was a careful dance, cooperating with the Dragons as agreed. Some things she just had to swallow and accept, like letting Norah around her son and not strangling Halea, but some things she simply refused to allow.  Her son wasn’t a science experiment, and neither was she.  The Dragons had plenty to experiment on already, without adding them.  She was willing to immerse herself with the dragons to allow Nathaniel to adapt, and learn to control his gift, and she was willing to stand with them politically on causes she agreed with, that could use some powerful backing. She even backed them against her husband’s family, if the situation truly warranted it. There was quite a bit she was able and willing to do, to accommodate the treaty they’d reached, but testing her son wasn’t one of those things, and never would be. Halea would either accept that, or get used to being refused over and over.

The last person waiting for her was Wulfrin. Reagan felt pity for this son-in-law who looked lost.  She also felt the urge to put her oldest daughter over her knee.  Sarah, foolish Sarah, had abandoned her marriage not long after Andriél became queen, and she realized that she no longer had a royal position.  Her Dragon husband had been devastated by her defection, so much so that Reagan was almost ready to suggest he remove himself to the Goblin Kingdom to track his wife down.  She grudgingly gave her approval to the young man after the first few years; he didn’t back down when Sarah needed someone to stand up to her, and he didn’t give up when they didn’t agree. If he had been at all abusive, in any way, the conversation would be entirely different, but Wulfrin had treated her like a queen (by her own admission). It wasn’t fair of Sarah to abandon the man she’d chosen, when he hadn’t mistreated her in any way, simply because she finally realized what marrying him required her to give up. 

“You look tired.”

“I haven’t been sleeping well,” he confessed. Kale and his wife took their leave, and Reagan gestured for Wulfrin to follow her.    Thornweld’s wife, Tise, was already standing outside the bedroom door, waiting to watch over Nathaniel.  They had a boy who was near Nathaniel’s age now, so once they boy woke up, they could keep each other occupied for quite some time.    He was in good hands with Thornweld’s family, and after seven years Reagan was finally comfortable leaving her son with the Dragons and not worrying that he was going to disappear on her.

“It took me awhile to learn to sleep alone,” she admitted as they left the mini-suite and strolled through the main halls towards the surface. “After Galen, before I was able to go back to Jareth, it was a long period of not sleeping well because I missed having someone beside me.  It will get easier, with time.”

She wouldn’t tell him that he would get used to it; that would be cruel, and untrue. One never really got used to such an absence, in her opinion, simply resigned to the fact of it.  Those who chose such a separation might disagree, but those weren’t the circumstances in Wulfrin’s case. 

“How is she?”

 _Stubborn_ best described Sarah these days.  The girl was determined to pretend that her running off had changed nothing, and it was driving Jareth up the wall. Sarah had stopped talking to them, again, when they refused to cater to that particular whim of hers. Reagan honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Jareth tossed their eldest daughter and dropped her back here during their stay.   She spent the bulk of her days sulking in her room when the goblins weren’t deferential enough for her tastes, or when her sisters went off to the High Court to participate in something she could no longer do.  She was always welcome there as a member of the family, of course, but there were some things that former royals simply weren’t included in, and Haldrin refused to change the laws even for his own kin.  If Sarah would only devote half as much energy into her marriage as she did into pretending she was single, they could have all of their problems worked out by now.

“She is as she ever was,” Reagan finally answered him. 

“Has she said anything else about why she left?’”

Saddest of all was that Wulfrin still genuinely had no idea why his wife had left him. Norah had done a pitiful job of explaining to her son why Sarah might not feel that he’d honored his promises when he couldn’t keep her in the position she wanted. It was inconceivable to the young Dragon that someone might abandon their chosen bond over a lack of position.

“She wants to be a princess, Wulfrin, and she can’t accept that she’s had to give that up. And that’s just Sarah.  It was nothing that you did.”

She knew that both Kale and Norah had told him much the same thing. Hopefully he would be able to accept it, in time.   It wasn’t his fault that Sarah didn’t want to accept the consequences of her choices. 

They left off discussion of her errant daughter as they reached the surface, and the field the dragons had claimed as their own. Their nests were in other caverns in the mountain, but the creatures preferred to spend their time in the large field at the base of the mountain.   Watching the massive animals roll on their backs in the grass like horses was one of the funniest sights she’d ever seen.  Some of them snorted their irritation at being disturbed, but many ignored their presence and continued in their activities. 

The hardest part of this entire endeavor had been working on the Dragons accepting that their cousin’s presence was necessary, and that they were not just dumb animals to be ordered around and discarded.   There were, of course, those who still thought that way, which was just sad.  If they could be bothered to look beyond their own views, they would see that their interests and the interests of the dragons aligned more often than not, and that it was mutually beneficial to live together peacefully.  Fortunately, most of the Dragons were open-minded enough to recognize the benefits that had already come from sharing the mountain, and were reaching out to the dragons.  Those that refused to see it were only required to acknowledge that theirs wasn’t the only opinion; that others didn’t have to share that opinion; and to keep the peace.

She was pleased to see a number of Dragons and their families out watching, and even interacting, with the dragons.   She saw more than a few young boys playing with the hatchlings that buzzed about, under the watchful eyes of their fathers and the lazy eyes of the dragons.  She saw Angela and Marian, the humans who’d left the Goblin Kingdom for the Dragons, and they waved wildly at her, smiling in greeting.  Their children were among those playing with the dragons, and they looked like they were having a marvelous time.

They had to dodge out of the way as Saphir was bowled over by a green dragon, Reagan thought it was Pyro.   The great problem with the dragons was finding appropriate names for them, as no one except some of the Dragons could actually understand their tongue, let alone make an attempt at pronouncing it.    This green one was a little overly fond of fire, so Pyro was rather apt.  He was slightly larger than Saphir, but she was holding her own in the tussel, until Draco broke it apart with a bored hiss and a massive foot threatening to cause injury as he waded through them to his Caller.  Once he reached them he laid down with a snort and pinned Reagan in with his head.  She settled against the large body, content with laying out in the sun and absorbing the creatures around her.    The sun was rarely so bright at home. After a nod, Wulfrin joined her in leaning against Draco and focusing on nothing more than simply being.  

xxxxxxx

_“Reagan.”_

After hours of peace, she was interrupted from her dinner by Jareth in her head. She wondered what could be so urgent that he would disturb her while she was gone.  He’d agreed that while she was with the Dragons, her focus should be only her position as a Caller and her sons, and not on him or the girls.   Trying to juggle both would only be counterproductive, and he was perfectly capable of managing anything on his own.

_“You are needed home for a few hours. It is an emergency.”_

_“I’ll be home as soon as I can.”_

She would leave Nathaniel with Thornweld and Tise, if they would agree. Kale wouldn’t be pleased at her going, even for a short time, but if it was emergency enough for Jareth to call her home, it couldn’t wait.   She pushed her dinner plate away, all thoughts of food forgotten.   Several of the closest Dragons looked to her curiously, but she waved off their interest.   She looked only to her son, who sat beside her.

“I have to go, but I’ll return as soon as I can. It’s an emergency.”

She forestalled the argument she could see brewing at that announcement. She had too much to do before she could go home, such as find a caregiver for her toddler, and the longer it took to get home the longer it would take to return.  She also had to let Draco know not to follow her, and that she would be back soon enough.  If she just disappeared without telling him, the dragon would either take out a good chunk of the mountain looking for her, or fly home and do the same.  

Less than twenty minutes later, she was materializing in the throne room of the castle, and she thought she might just turn around and leave. There were at least a hundred children and adults surrounded by goblins filling the room.  What the hell had happened?  She’d never seen such a mass of wished away mortals before.  And—were those animals in cargo crates?

“You’re off by half. Final count was two hundred and eighteen mortals, not including their pets”  Jareth informed her when he finally made his way through the crowd.  She was proud to see that the older girls were moving among the rabble, passing out water and blankets.   More than a few of their news guests had injuries, so she guessed something terrible must have happened.  A countless number of exhausted goblins were collapsed in a large pile in one corner of the room.

“What the--?”

“One of those human flying contraptions fell from the sky. Someone on it wished everyone away.”

“Seriously?”

She hadn’t known that was even possible. Logistically, this was going to be a nightmare.  With no one to run for them, these people couldn’t go home.  They were going to be permanent residents of the Underground forever, unless a wound or illness managed to carry them off.   Where were they supposed to put all of these people?  This group would double the size of the human village, something they really didn’t need. 

“The children with no parents can be adopted out to those still wanting children, I suppose. That will cut the number down some.”

 “Are there enough couples looking?  I count at least fifty-five in that group of school uniforms.  Most of them are going to be without parents here. And that doesn’t count the others we’ll probably find.”

Jareth looked surprised at that. He’d failed to recognize that the large group of similarly dressed children had only a few adults supervising them, and Reagan was reminded of how little he still knew of the world Above.  The everyday, mundane things, such as school uniforms and class trips, would be completely unfamiliar to him.  How terrible for all of those families Above, who would never know what happened to their children.  She couldn’t imagine thinking her child was dead in a plane crash, and never knowing that they were alive and well.  Even if she could never see them again, she would want to know that.  Those children’s parents would never have that choice. 

“First thing, we’ll need healers to come and check everyone over.”

 Some of them were visibly injured, others likely had something hidden.  They all needed to be given a clean bill of health before they worried about placing them somewhere.   They would need healers from outside, if they wanted to be able to check over so many.   Jareth’s agreement made things easier, he took over the task of contact the High Court to ask for assistance as she started the task of identifying everyone.   The girls had the water and blankets well in hand, and they would need to know who was now living among them; families absolutely needed to be kept together.  With a wave of her hand she produced a notebook and ball point pen.  Jareth could keep his scrolls and quills, modern writing implements had a distinct advantage in this case:  she wouldn’t have to fight to keep the pages together, and the pen didn’t need to be re-inked after every sentence.  She hoped that most of the families had managed to group themselves together.  It would be much easier if they had. She picked the group of people closest to her and started writing.  

Three hours later, they had managed to get some semblance of order in the chaos.   Twenty two families needed to be settled somewhere, and seventeen individuals flatly refusing to stay anywhere near the goblins needed to be found temporary accommodations.  Whether they liked it or not, they were under Jareth’s purview, so they would reside wherever he gave permission, and they would have to adapt to that.  Hopefully some of the others would be willing to offer residence, but if they didn’t, those mortals better get used to the goblins. The rest of the individual travelers, the ones who were too exhausted or shocked to voice an objection to their newest company, were farmed out to residents of the human village who offered shelter until spaces of their own could be constructed.

Thirty of the children were already placed with Fae families, but that left thirty-seven more. Apart from the school group, she’d found three other children who were travelling as unaccompanied minors, and family of four children whose parents didn’t make it off the plane. Those four needed to stay together, if at all possible.

“Have you any suggestions, Haldrin?”

The simple fact was that there was just not enough room in their country for all of these people. They could house several in the castle, and the human village, but much of the kingdom wasn’t habitable for any sort of human population. Too much of it was wild, and sending humans out there to try to tame it was just asking for trouble.

“I do have one, but you’re not going to like it.”

“Let’s hear it then.”

“The Dragons.”

Jareth stared at his sister’s husband in disbelief.

“Have you gone mad?”

“They have the necessary space, Jareth. And they are still in desperate need of children, especially girls.”

“So you would send these mortals over to them to become breeders?”

Reagan briefly considered cuffing Jareth in the back of the head for that remark, but restrained herself. The mortals watching them were already watching with some concern, not understanding the elvish the men used but knowing from the tone that something wasn’t right.  It wouldn’t do to escalate the disagreement.  But Jareth was either being purposely obtuse, or he simply wasn’t thinking straight under the strain of dealing with so many people.  No more women had been abducted since Kale took the throne, and after seven years of dealing with the Dowager Queen (and oh, how she detested that title) sticking her nose into the gender politics of the region during her visits, the majority of the Dragons had drastically changed how the treated their wives.  She openly acknowledged that there was still a great deal of work ahead, but it was time Jareth and the rest of the Underground acknowledge how much had already changed. 

“I would send these mortals to set up a colony in one of the only lands with the space to do so easily.   They would be as free to choose their lives as they are anywhere else.  If any of them end up bonded with a Dragon, it would be entirely their choice.”

Jareth snorted at that. When had the Dragons allowed anyone to make their own choices about bonding with them?

“The idea has merit, Jareth, and you know it,” Reagan inserted her opinion before he could start another argument.  “You should at least discuss the possibility with Kale and Andriél before you dismiss it out of hand.”

“As if that would accomplish anything.”

Jareth knew THE LOOK his wife was directing at him, and it didn’t mean anything good would come from a continued discussion.   The very idea of sending any of the mortals, who were ultimately his responsibility, over to the Dragons was revolting.  What sort of guarantees would he have that they would be treated fairly?   Perhaps things were getting better for women under the boy’s rule, but that didn’t mean that such displaced mortals would fare as well. He could continue the argument, but from the expression Reagan wore, it would be pointless.

“You’re right. I hate this idea.”

xxxx

He supposed it shouldn’t surprise him that Kale and Andriél arrived less than two minutes later.   Reagan had popped out of the castle as soon as he’d agreed to meet with them.  Of course she would bring them back immediately.  Still, after an hour’s debate he was reluctantly forced to admit that this proposal was likely the best they would develop.

The younger children still needing homes would be placed with Dragon families, under the supervision of Andriél, and the older children could join the mortals who would start a colony there. There was ample land in the Dragon territories where a settlement could be built and they could support themselves, and Kale would work to integrate them as far into Dragon society as possible, so that they wouldn’t forever be outsiders.  Reagan’s visits would provide ample opportunity to monitor the welfare of the mortals, so if anything took place in violation of Kale’s promises, it would be dealt with immediately, and the offender would answer to Jareth.    Apart from the location, it was very nearly the same scenario these mortals would face if they settled in his own human village.    

He watched his wife explaining the situation to those who seemed capable of listening, and understanding. Too many of them were still in shock from the events of the day.  There were three or four who had yet to react to anything, and he worried for them.  Those were the ones who could easily be taken advantage of, if anyone was so inclined.

“Seeing an actual dragon might help to snap them out of it,” Andriél commented when she saw him staring.   He wouldn’t admit it to Reagan, but he’d warmed to this Fae who’d taken his stepson down a few notches.  It was good for the boy to have someone who would stand up to him.  Had he succeeded in marrying Lauriel, he would have ended up with the sweetest doormat in the Underground for a wife, and what a terrible union that would have been.  Andriél was more than capable of taking up for herself, and denting the Dragon’s ego while she was at it.

“If it doesn’t, we’ll see them taken care of, or returned to you if that is your wish.”

“I won’t stand for any of them being mistreated,” he felt compelled to warn her.

“Nor will I. They’ll be fine, Your Majesty.  If not, you can have whatever is left of the Dragon responsible once I’m through with them.”

He watched the humans leave, many still confused about what was going on. The worst was that Reagan was leaving with them, now that the primary crisis was over, leaving him to deal with the humans who remained behind.  Isolde and Sarah had been charged with getting their newest residents to the human city with their animals and what possessions they had, namely the blankets they’d been given.  It would be a lot of work to erect houses for them all, and it would begin in the morning.  

He would miss Isolde when she married and left, which was likely to happen soon. She was the most levelheaded of the girls, and common sense would be in shorter supply with her gone. Of all their offspring, she looked most like him; with her white-blonde hair and mismatched eyes, she was also incredibly lovely, and many had noticed it at Court. She’d told more than one possible suitor with an eye on allying himself with the Goblin Kingdom and the High King exactly what they could do with that desire, fiercely and in enough graphic detail that there was no doubt she was Reagan’s daughter.  She had a talent for picking out sincerity in others, and verbally decimating those who were insincere.  So far, none of the males at Court had impressed. 

But Jareth knew that someday, and someday soon, one of those suitors would turn her head, and she wouldn’t toss him over a palace railing.   Cadmus’ son had been among those sniffing around her, and she certainly hadn’t sent him packing.  A centaur, for a near-son?  He couldn’t fathom it.  He couldn’t begin to imagine the mechanics involved in the creation of grandchildren in that case, but the thought was enough to leave a searing mental image he wished he could erase.  If Caedon made her happy, they would have his blessing.

Sarah was the daughter who had his concern now. He hadn’t wanted to believe Reagan when she told him Sarah was trying to pretend nothing had changed, but his wife was right.  He’d witnessed it with his own eyes.  She was hardly the first person to abandon a marriage, but she left for the most ridiculous of reasons.  Wulfrin hadn’t been unfaithful to her, or abusive in any way.   She had a mate as close to perfect as it was possible to be, and she’d left him because she wanted to still be a princess?  Because it turned out that her parents were right in their warnings, and that she couldn’t get everything she wanted?   It wasn’t as if coming home had made things any different:  outside this kingdom she was no longer a Royal Highness, regardless of whether she’d left her husband.  Things simply could not go back to what they were before. How had his daughter, of all people, come to the idea that she could escape the consequences of her choices?

He was coming to the end of his patience with the girl. It was as plain as day that she missed the Dragon she’d left.   She wandered the courtyard and Labyrinth when she thought no one would notice, and the Labyrinth reported on her. She was moping, mourning the loss of her bondmate even as she tried to maintain her illusion of being free.

That was it! If she wanted hide out here forever and ruin any chance of them working anything out, he would just work around that. He would bring Wulfrin to stay at the castle for a time. He knew that Sarah would have a fit and rail about the unfairness of it, but it was the best course of action.  She wanted to be told that everything would go back to the way it was; she needed to see that it wouldn’t, and that she had to work out the issues, rather than run away from them, if she was going to have any hope of being happy.  Perhaps they wouldn’t be able to reconcile anything, and if not, well, this castle would always be her home, but she needed to try. His job as a parent was to see that his daughter had what she NEEDED, not necessarily what she WANTED.   If she ever had children of her own, she would come to understand the difference. 

He felt better for having made a decision about Sarah, and moved on to his next concern. The anniversary of his and Reagan’s Bonding was coming up shortly after her scheduled return from the Dragons.  One hundred and ten years; he had to determine an appropriate gift.   Perhaps he might arrange for his parents to stay with the children and take Reagan away, just the two of them.  They hadn’t been completely alone since before Sarah was born. 

It sometimes seemed only yesterday Reagan came to live in his halls.   He remembered the fiery mortal who dared to stand up to him and his brother, and the courage it had taken to offer herself in place of her nephew.  The firmness of belief that defied Oberon, and demanded that she be accepted for what she was. She was generally more even-tempered, especially once she got her magic under control, but that personality still surface from time to time, and it was always entertaining to watch, especially when it was targeted at those he just despised.

It was difficult to believe sometimes that a century had passed since Reagan came into his life. Especially when one considered all that had come to pass in that short (for an immortal) time:  five beautiful children, a political change that had left half the Underground wondering if the world was coming to an end,  and a peace with Dragons that had until this time been thought impossible.  Melot’s boredom had resulted in the most unexpected chain of events anyone would have believed possible, but Jareth wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.  He could no longer imagine his life without her in it, and he couldn’t wait to see what the next hundred years would bring.

 

 


End file.
